- Mamata Banerjee will appear in Supreme Court to argue her petition on electoral rolls revision
- She filed an application to present arguments as a party in person against the poll body's SIR process
- The hearing involves a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and includes Trinamool MPs' related pleas
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to appear in person before the Supreme Court today, where she will seek permission to argue her own petition challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Banerjee has filed an interlocutory application requesting the court's approval to appear and present arguments as a party in person. A gate pass issued in her name confirms her expected presence in Courtroom 1, alongside her legal team.
The matter will be heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M Pancholi. This hearing involves Banerjee's Article 32 writ petition, along with related pleas from others, including TMC MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, contesting the SIR process.
In her application, Banerjee emphasised her role as the petitioner and her deep familiarity with the case's facts. As the sitting Chief Minister of West Bengal and chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress, she stated her full awareness of Supreme Court procedures and decorum, committing to adhere to established rules. She holds an LLB degree from Jogesh Chandra Choudhury College of Law in Calcutta and last practiced law around 2003.
Banerjee argued that her personal appearance would aid the court in understanding the ground realities faced by West Bengal residents due to the SIR exercise. She contended that the process risks large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
In her main petition, filed on January 28, 2026, Banerjee has sought to quash several ECI directions and instructions related to the SIR. She has requested that the upcoming assembly polls be held based on the existing electoral rolls rather than those revised through the SIR. Additionally, she has prayed for directions that cases involving name mismatches or spelling variations under the "logical discrepancy" category not be subjected to hearings during the SIR; instead, such corrections should be made suo motu using available records. She has also urged acceptance of all identification documents issued by competent authorities as valid proof.
The SIR, aimed at verifying and cleaning voter lists, has drawn criticism from Banerjee and her party for being arbitrary, hurried, and prone to errors that could exclude legitimate voters. The Supreme Court previously issued directions on January 19, 2026, stressing transparency in the process and measures to minimize inconvenience, including public display of discrepancy lists and facilitation of document submission at local offices.
This development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing dispute between the West Bengal government and the ECI, with the hearing poised to address key concerns over electoral integrity in the poll-bound state.
