West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could set a new precedent in the Supreme Court if granted permission to personally argue her petition, potentially becoming the first serving chief minister in the country to do so. The case relates to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission in the state.
Mamata Banerjee has already reached the Supreme Court, prompting heightened security arrangements in and around the court premises. Her petition challenges the ongoing revision process of the voter list, which she claims could have serious implications for the voting rights of citizens.
CM Seeks Cancellation of Voter List Revision Process
In her plea, Mamata Banerjee has demanded that the entire SIR exercise underway in West Bengal be scrapped. She has also sought directions that the 2026 Assembly elections be conducted solely on the basis of the existing 2025 voter list. According to her, the revision process could lead to the removal of a large number of genuine voters, effectively depriving them of their right to vote.
She has argued that the verification exercise, allegedly based on the 2002 electoral rolls and accompanied by strict norms, is creating unnecessary hardship for ordinary citizens.
Challenge to Election Commission Orders
The Chief Minister has specifically sought the quashing of the Election Commission’s orders dated June 24, 2025, and October 27, 2025. She stated that voters are being issued notices even for minor discrepancies such as spelling errors in names, age differences, or variations in parents’ names.
Mamata Banerjee has urged the court to stay such proceedings and direct election officials to make corrections by verifying official records themselves. She has also sought recognition of Aadhaar as a valid identity document and requested that voters not be repeatedly asked to furnish additional paperwork.
The matter has gained significance in light of the Supreme Court’s recent observations on the difficulties faced by the public during the SIR process in West Bengal. The court had earlier directed the Election Commission to ensure that the exercise remains transparent, simple, and voter-friendly, while clearly stating that no eligible voter’s name should be removed arbitrarily.
