Mamata Banerjee Argues in Supreme Court on SIR Voter List Issue

On 4 February, the Supreme Court heard the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared in person along with her lawyers. She alleged that the West Bengal Election Commission was targeting the state, claiming that tasks meant to be completed in two years were being rushed in three months.

After the hearing, the bench led by CJI Suryakant said genuine voters should remain in the electoral list. The court asked the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal to respond by 9 February.

First Time a Sitting CM Personally Argued

This was the first time in Supreme Court history that a sitting state Chief Minister personally presented arguments. Typically, CM’s lawyers or advisors handle court cases.

Mamata's Allegations and Concerns

• She said that rushing the SIR process in two months instead of two years caused hardship during the farming season.
• Over 58 lakh voter names have been removed, allegedly to target West Bengal.
• Micro-observers appointed by BJP allegedly bypassed BLO rights to remove names, including women who changed surnames after marriage.
• She questioned why similar processes are not happening in Assam and other North-East states.

Election Commission Response

The Election Commission stated that due to insufficient Group B officers provided by the state, micro-observers had to be appointed. All notices issued had valid reasons. Names removed were also communicated to authorized agents, and efforts were made to involve local language experts. The Commission emphasized that time constraints necessitated these steps.

Supreme Court Directives

CJI Suryakant said it is impractical to withdraw all notices. The Election Commission should avoid issuing notices for minor spelling errors. If the state provides local-language-proficient officials to verify errors, it would assist the Commission. AI translations should not lead to exclusion of genuine voters.

Mamata's Legal Background

Mamata Banerjee holds an LLB degree from Jogesh Chandra College, Kolkata, completed in 1982. She started her career as a High Court advocate in the 1980s before entering active politics. She personally sought permission to present arguments, emphasizing her understanding of Supreme Court procedures.

Political Actions

On 3 February, Mamata held a press conference in Delhi, demanding impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner and seeking support from opposition parties. She criticized the SIR process and alleged BJP’s selective implementation, citing concerns about voter deletion and border security responsibility.