SC Issues Notice On Mamata Banerjee’s Plea Against Electoral Roll Revision In Bengal

Last Updated:February 04, 2026, 14:30 IST

A Bench led by the Chief Justice took up multiple petitions, including one filed by the West Bengal government

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was in Supreme Court on Wednesday over SIR hearing. (PTI)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a challenge to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally addressing the Bench and alleging large-scale wrongful deletions of voters ahead of elections.

A Bench led by the Chief Justice took up multiple petitions, including one filed by the West Bengal government, raising concerns over alleged discrepancies in the process, procedural difficulties and severe time constraints.

The court noted that the exercise is bound by a strict timeline, which had already been extended by ten days, and that only four days now remain. Observing that it could not offer further extensions, the Chief Justice said, “We cannot grant the luxury of one more week," while stressing that “every problem has a solution so that no innocent citizen is left out."

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners, flagged what he described as serious procedural hurdles. He cited data suggesting that 32 lakh voters were marked as unmapped, 1.36 crore entries — nearly 20% of the electorate — were placed on a logical discrepancy list, and around 63 lakh hearings were still pending. He also questioned the appointment of 8,300 micro observers, arguing they lacked statutory backing and were rejecting documents such as Aadhaar, domicile and caste certificates.

Responding to concerns over communication, the Chief Justice said the discrepancy list was not the sole mode of intimation and that individual notices were also being issued. Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the Election Commission of India (ECI), said all notices carried reasons and voters were allowed to respond through authorised agents. He defended the appointment of micro observers, saying the state government had failed to provide sufficient Group B or Class II officers despite repeated requests.

The hearing also saw arguments on name discrepancies arising from linguistic and transliteration issues. The Bench noted that such problems occur across the country due to local dialects, while Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal reminded the court that earlier assurances had been given that minor discrepancies would not be pursued.

Addressing the court directly, Banerjee alleged that the SIR process was being used primarily to delete names, disproportionately affecting women, migrants and the poor. She questioned why the exercise was being carried out after 24 years, during the harvesting season, and claimed that some people were being declared dead despite being alive. Alleging that West Bengal was being singled out, she asked why similar exercises were not undertaken in other states such as Assam. “Please protect the people’s rights. We are grateful," she told the court.

Seeking a practical solution, the Chief Justice directed the state to submit by Monday a list of Group B officers who could be spared to assist with the exercise. The Bench issued notice in both petitions and ordered that a connected matter, in which the ECI has already filed an affidavit, also be listed on Monday, saying all issues would be heard together. The court concluded the hearing by assuring urgent and comprehensive consideration of the matter.

News india SC Issues Notice On Mamata Banerjee’s Plea Against Electoral Roll Revision In Bengal

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