Mamata Banerjee In Supreme Court: Joins Hand, Says 'I Am From Bengal, Can Explain Better, ECI Is Bulldozing..'

Mamata Banerjee Argues Her Own Case in Supreme Court Against SIR in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday personally argued her case before the Supreme Court of India, challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

A trained advocate, Banerjee sought and received permission to present arguments herself, marking a rare moment in Indian politics where a sitting Chief Minister fought her own case in the country's top court.

Her appearance in court underscored the seriousness of her long-running opposition to the SIR exercise and signalled an escalation in her confrontation with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Watch Full SC Hearing:

Why Mamata Banerjee Is Opposing SIR?

Banerjee has consistently argued that the SIR process in West Bengal is flawed and harmful to voters. In her plea, she asked the court to quash all SIR-related orders issued by the ECI on June 24, 2025, and October 27, 2025, along with all connected directives.

She wants the upcoming Assembly elections in the state to be conducted using the 2025 voters' list, without further revisions.

According to the Chief Minister, the SIR has caused confusion, stress, and exclusion rather than improving voter inclusion. She submitted that the process is "not for inclusion but for deletion," alleging that genuine voters were being removed due to technical mismatches.

Supreme Court Bench and Earlier Observations

The case was heard by a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The bench is also hearing related petitions filed by Mostari Banu and Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen.

In the previous hearing on January 12, the Supreme Court expressed concern over the pressure faced by ordinary people during the SIR. The bench noted that over one crore notices had been issued and directed the ECI to make the process more transparent, accessible, and voter-friendly in West Bengal.

SIR Timeline in West Bengal

The SIR exercise began in West Bengal on November 4, 2025. The draft electoral roll was published on December 16, and the deadline for claims and objections closed on January 19. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on February 14, though this timeline could change depending on further court directions.

'Why No SIR in Assam?' Mamata Questions ECI

During her arguments, Banerjee questioned the intent behind conducting SIR in West Bengal while excluding Assam. She alleged selective targeting and said West Bengal was being unfairly singled out. She also claimed that stress caused by the exercise affected Booth Level Officers and accused the authorities of harassment.

Banerjee further alleged that micro observers from BJP-ruled states were appointed to "bulldoze" voters in Bengal. Calling the poll panel a "WhatsApp Commission," she claimed that many voters were wrongly marked as deceased during the revision.

Alleged Errors Affecting Women Voters

The Chief Minister highlighted specific problems faced by women voters. She told the court that some women had their names deleted after marriage because they changed surnames or moved to their in-laws' homes. According to her, such mismatches led to unfair deletions and showed poor understanding of social realities.

'Justice Crying Behind Doors,' Says CM

Thanking the court for allowing her to argue personally, Banerjee said she was compelled to step in because repeated letters to the Election Commission went unanswered. "When justice is crying behind the door, we thought we are not getting justice anywhere," she said, adding that she was not fighting for her party but for people's rights.
Concluding her submissions, Banerjee urged the court to protect voters' rights and said, "Please protect the people's rights. We are grateful."

Supreme Court's Direction on Notices

The Supreme Court also directed the ECI to send SIR notices carefully, especially to public figures. The remarks came after notices were reportedly sent to noted individuals, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami.

The court has concluded the current round of hearings and scheduled the next hearing for Monday, February 9. The outcome could shape not only the future of SIR in West Bengal but also how similar exercises are conducted across the country.

TMC MP- Kalyan Banerjee On SC Hearing

Trinamool Congress MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally argued her writ petition and placed several key issues before the court. He stated that the court heard her submissions and observed that if required, she would be given more time to argue her case. According to Banerjee, two major issues raised in the petition need careful consideration: first, that for the past four months the SIR exercise has focused only on deletion of names and no inclusion process has been carried out; second, that there is no legal power to appoint micro-observers and roll observers in the manner being done. He said Mamata Banerjee argued that many roll observers are not of SDM rank and are instead drawn from institutions such as Coal India and the RBI, while most micro-observers have been brought in from BJP-ruled states. She further argued that the SIR process is being carried out hurriedly only in states ruled by non-BJP parties, whereas in BJP-ruled states the exercise has not even begun.

On logical discrepancies, Banerjee said the Chief Minister pointed out that even very minor mistakes were being treated as serious grounds for deletion. He added that the court has asked the Election Commission to address all these concerns and has orally observed that the hearing timeline may be extended, as only four days remain under the current schedule. The matter has been listed for further hearing on Monday, and the Election Commission has been asked to file its response. Banerjee also said that when the Election Commission argued that there were not enough SDMs available in West Bengal, the court asked whether Grade-2 officers could be appointed to assist, to which Mamata Banerjee agreed.