Mamata Banerjee to Appear Personally in Supreme Court to Challenge ECI’s Electoral Roll Revision in Bengal

Mamata Banerjee to Appear Personally in Supreme Court to Challenge ECI’s Electoral Roll Revision in Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to appear in person before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking permission to argue her own petition against the Election Commission of India’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Banerjee has moved an interlocutory application requesting the court’s approval to present arguments as a party in person. A gate pass issued in her name confirms her presence in Courtroom No. 1, where she is expected to appear alongside her legal team.

The matter will be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The hearing covers Banerjee’s Article 32 writ petition, along with related pleas filed by others, including Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, all challenging the legality and execution of the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

In her application, Banerjee underlined that she is the principal petitioner and is fully conversant with the facts of the case. As the sitting Chief Minister and chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress, she told the court she is aware of Supreme Court procedures and courtroom decorum, and would strictly abide by them. Banerjee holds an LLB degree from Jogesh Chandra Choudhury College of Law in Kolkata and last practised as a lawyer around 2003.

She argued that her personal appearance would help the court better understand the ground realities in West Bengal, particularly the difficulties faced by residents during the SIR process. According to her petition, the revision exercise carries the risk of large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters, especially with the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections approaching.

In her main plea, filed on January 28, 2026, Banerjee has sought to quash several directions and instructions issued by the ECI in connection with the SIR. She has urged the court to direct that the upcoming assembly elections be conducted on the basis of the existing electoral rolls, rather than those revised through the current exercise. She has also asked that cases involving name mismatches or spelling variations categorised as “logical discrepancies” should not be subjected to hearings during the SIR, and instead be corrected suo motu using available official records. The petition further calls for acceptance of all identity documents issued by competent authorities as valid proof.

The SIR, which aims to verify and clean voter lists, has been criticised by Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress as arbitrary, rushed and vulnerable to errors that could exclude genuine voters. Earlier, on January 19, 2026, the Supreme Court had issued directions emphasising transparency in the process and steps to reduce inconvenience, including the public display of discrepancy lists and easier submission of documents at local offices.

Banerjee’s decision to appear personally before the apex court marks a sharp escalation in the standoff between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission, with the outcome likely to have significant implications for electoral processes in the poll-bound state.