Mamata Banerjee To Argue Own Case In Supreme Court SIR Hearing
Mamata Banerjee will represent herself in Supreme Court SIR case, challenging West Bengal voter roll revision.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to personally argue her petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The hearing, scheduled before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, addresses concerns over the SIR process and its potential impact on the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
According to Deccan Herald, Banerjee filed her petition on 28 January, naming the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer as respondents. The Supreme Court had previously directed the ECI to ensure transparency in the SIR process and to display the names of voters with "logical discrepancies" at local administrative offices, allowing for objections and document submissions.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Banerjee’s plea seeks the quashing of all SIR-related orders issued by the ECI in June and October 2025. The petition highlights concerns that the SIR could result in mass disenfranchisement, with over one crore voters having received notices regarding discrepancies in their records.
As highlighted by Live Law, Banerjee’s petition alleges irregularities in the classification of individuals under the "Logical Discrepancy" category. She contends that the failure to publish the list of affected voters online has deprived them of transparency and an effective opportunity to respond. Banerjee has requested that the polls be conducted based on the existing 2025 rolls, not the revised SIR lists.
As noted in an article by Financial Express, Banerjee’s legal background and her decision to represent herself mark a first for a sitting chief minister in the Supreme Court. She argues that her direct involvement will ensure a proper hearing and that she is fully familiar with the facts and difficulties faced by West Bengal residents due to the SIR process.
Litigation coverage detailed Banerjee’s urgent request for the Supreme Court to halt voter deletions, citing an imminent threat of large-scale disenfranchisement. She has also sought the withdrawal of mandatory hearings for minor discrepancies and called for the acceptance of various state-issued documents as valid proof of identity.
Further analysis indicated that Banerjee’s petition seeks the withdrawal of all prior hearing notices and the removal of micro-observers from the verification process. The Supreme Court had earlier directed the ECI to make the SIR process more accessible and voter-friendly, emphasizing that corrections should not undermine fairness or due process.
In addition, recent updates confirmed Banerjee’s likely personal appearance before the Supreme Court bench, which is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the SIR and the mass exclusion of electors from the state’s voter list.
Banerjee has made a sweeping prayer to quash all SIR-related orders from the Election Commission, dated June 24, 2025, and October 27, 2025, along with connected directives.
At the end of the previous month, additional filings by Banerjee in the Supreme Court included responses to unrelated Enforcement Directorate allegations, but also reiterated her request to argue the SIR petition herself. This move underscores her direct challenge to the ECI and her assertion that the SIR process risks widespread disenfranchisement ahead of the 2026 elections.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.