West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue her own case against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. A trained advocate, Banerjee personally presented submissions before the apex court, marking a rare instance of a sitting chief minister arguing her own petition.
Banerjee has consistently opposed the SIR exercise in West Bengal, stating that it could lead to large-scale exclusion of eligible voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. She has urged that the elections be conducted using the 2025 voter list and sought the quashing of all SIR-related directives issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in June and October 2025.
The case was heard by a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The bench is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the SIR process, including those filed by Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, as well as petitioner Mostari Banu.
During the proceedings, Banerjee questioned the intent behind conducting the SIR exclusively in West Bengal. She asked why a similar revision was not being undertaken in Assam and alleged that the process was being implemented in a selective and discriminatory manner. The chief minister further claimed that micro-observers from BJP-ruled states were appointed during the revision exercise, raising concerns about fairness and neutrality.
Highlighting specific issues, Banerjee said that women voters were adversely affected, particularly those who had changed their surnames after marriage or relocated to their in-laws’ homes. She also opposed the inclusion of minor spelling variations and name mismatches as “logical discrepancies” leading to deletion notices.
In her concluding remarks, Banerjee urged the court to safeguard democratic rights, stating that the process had placed undue stress on ordinary citizens. She thanked the Supreme Court for allowing her to present her arguments and appealed for protection of voters’ rights.
The Supreme Court concluded the hearing on Wednesday and scheduled the next hearing for February 9. Earlier, the court had directed the ECI to make the SIR process more transparent, accessible, and voter-friendly, noting the large number of notices issued to voters during the revision exercise.
The SIR in West Bengal began on November 4, 2025, with the draft electoral rolls published on December 16. The final electoral roll is currently expected to be released on February 14, though the timeline may be reviewed based on the court’s directions.
