Mamata Banerjee Challenges ECI's SIR in Supreme Court
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to appear before the Supreme Court today, February 4, 2026, to argue her petition against the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She is seeking permission to personally present her case.
Key Points of Banerjee's Plea
Banerjee's petition, filed on January 28, 2026, challenges the legality of the SIR exercise conducted in West Bengal. She claims the SIR process could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement due to the ECI's actions, which she alleges are opaque and unconstitutional.
Banerjee has raised concerns about the classification of individuals under the 'Logical Discrepancy' (LD) category. She alleges that the list of individuals in this category has not been uploaded online, which deprives those affected of transparency and the opportunity to respond.
Banerjee seeks the quashing of all SIR-related orders issued by the ECI on June 24, 2025, and October 27, 2025, along with all connected directives.
Arguments Against SIR
Banerjee has long opposed the SIR drive in West Bengal and wants the upcoming Assembly elections to be conducted as per the 2025 voting list. She is asking the Supreme Court to halt voter deletions in West Bengal. She alleges that victims of the SIR process are not being given an opportunity to defend themselves and has questioned the intent behind conducting SIR in states just ahead of Assembly elections.
In an application moved late last night, Banerjee stated that over 60 lakh hearings remain pending, with only four days left for their completion and the final electoral roll due on February 14. She also alleges that despite an assurance from the ECI on January 19 that name mismatch cases would not require mandatory hearings, the poll body subsequently issued circulars making such hearings compulsory even for minor discrepancies.
Supreme Court's Stand
The hearing before the Supreme Court comes after the court directed the ECI to make the SIR more transparent, accessible, and voter-friendly in West Bengal. The bench observed on January 12 that there was strain and stress going on for ordinary people, with over one crore people having been issued notices.
Bench Details
The matter will be heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi.
Conclusion
Mamata Banerjee is challenging the ECI's SIR, citing potential disenfranchisement and lack of transparency. The Supreme Court is hearing her plea, with Banerjee seeking to argue her case personally.
