TVK to join INDIA bloc's anti-CEC protest in Chennai as Congress-DMK rift deepens

TVK, Congress and other opposition parties plan a “protect democracy” protest in Chennai on Thursday, October 15. The demonstration targets alleged irregularities in electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of voter lists. It also supports the demand for action against the Chief Election Commissioner, including calls for the CEC’s removal.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said the protest will begin at 10 am at Ramada Circle on Langs Garden Road in Egmore. Congress MP B Manickam Tagore will lead it. Leaders expected to attend include TVK’s A Rajmohan, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan and MDMK general secretary Vaiko.

The protest is important because it is TVK’s first participation in an agitation seeking the CEC’s removal since joining the INDIA bloc on October 3, 2026. It also comes as Congress and the DMK move further apart, with the DMK distancing itself from Congress-led protests.

A Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is a focused review and updating of electoral rolls. Election authorities use such a process to verify voter details, identify eligible electors, and correct or remove inaccurate entries. It is more intensive than routine roll maintenance because it involves a broad check of the list.

In practice, officials may verify information, collect or review voter details, publish a revised draft roll, and allow claims and objections. These steps are designed to make the roll more accurate. They also create opportunities for voters and political parties to challenge omissions or incorrect entries.

The article places SIR at the centre of the Chennai protest because opposition parties allege irregularities in the voter lists. The article does not provide operational details of the revision itself. The wider political dispute therefore concerns both the accuracy of electoral rolls and the Election Commission’s handling of the process.

The protest is expected to bring together Congress, TVK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, MDMK, IUML, CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML). The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said leaders from all seven constituent parties were expected, while separately identifying Congress functionaries who would attend. The named participants represent several opposition parties in Tamil Nadu.

The article identifies TVK leader and School Education Minister A Rajmohan, VCK president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan, and MDMK general secretary Vaiko. It also names IUML chief KM Kader Mohideen and state secretaries from the two Communist parties and CPI(ML). Congress MP B Manickam Tagore will lead the protest.

TVK’s role carries special political meaning. The party joined the INDIA bloc on October 3, 2026, and this will be its first participation in an agitation seeking the CEC’s removal. Congress leader Tagore called TVK’s entry historic and said it would strengthen opposition against the BJP.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee expects leaders from all seven constituent parties to participate in the Chennai demonstration. The protest is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner over the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists.

The article names representatives from TVK, VCK, MDMK, IUML, CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML), alongside Congress leaders. The demonstration will be led by Congress MP B Manickam Tagore. It is scheduled for 10 am at Ramada Circle on Langs Garden Road in Egmore.

The seven-party participation gives the protest a broader opposition character. It also highlights TVK’s new role inside the INDIA bloc. However, the DMK is not joining this mobilisation. The party has distanced itself from Congress-led agitations and said on October 12 that it exited the INDIA bloc after accusing Congress of betrayal.

The DMK said on October 12 that it had exited the INDIA bloc because it believed Congress had betrayed the party. The DMK accused Congress leaders, including B Manickam Tagore, Girish Chodankar and Praveen Chakravarthy, of repeatedly making remarks against the Dravidian party while the two parties were allies.

The DMK also alleged that Congress had acted as a “sleeper cell of another party” inside the DMK-led alliance. It linked the dispute to Congress leaders’ comments and the SIR issue. The party blamed these developments for contributing to its electoral defeat.

This accusation has widened the political rift in Tamil Nadu. Congress is now mobilising with TVK and other opposition parties for the October 15 protest, while the DMK has stayed away from Congress-led agitations. The split changes the alignment of parties opposing the BJP in the state.

Alleged irregularities in voter lists can affect both individual voters and the credibility of an election. If an eligible person is missing, incorrectly recorded or unable to prove a listed detail, that person may face difficulty voting. Incorrect entries can also create disputes about who is entitled to participate.

The key mechanism is the electoral roll. It identifies the people registered to vote in a constituency. A revision such as SIR is meant to check and update that list. If the process is accurate and transparent, it can correct mistakes. If it is poorly handled, exclusions or disputed entries may increase.

The article does not establish that irregularities occurred. It reports allegations that have prompted Congress, TVK and other opposition parties to protest and demand action against the CEC. Continued disagreement could intensify political conflict and make trust in the voter-list process a central election issue.

India’s Chief Election Commissioner is the head of the Election Commission, the constitutional body responsible for supervising elections and electoral rolls. The CEC’s position is intended to support an independent election process. The article focuses on demands for action against the officeholder but does not explain the role or removal procedure.

Under Article 324, the CEC may be removed by the President only after both Houses of Parliament address the President. The address must be supported by a majority of the total membership of each House and by at least two-thirds of members present and voting. Removal must be based on proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

This makes removal deliberately difficult. A street protest can demand removal, but it cannot remove the CEC directly. The formal decision requires the constitutionally prescribed parliamentary process. The article reports the opposition demand, not that any removal proceedings have begun.