The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a petition filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in the state.
According to sources, the Chief Minister may remain personally present during the proceedings and may address the court on issues relating to revision of voter lists and the role of the Election Commission.
The petition, filed on January 28, challenges the conduct of the SIR exercise ahead of elections. The Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal have been impleaded as respondents.
The petition contends that the SIR process is arbitrary and suffers from deficiencies. It alleges that, under the guise of revision of electoral rolls, the names of eligible voters may be deleted, causing inconvenience to citizens. It further states that any revision of voter lists must adhere to transparent procedures and clear rules.
Prior to approaching the court, the Chief Minister had written to the Chief Election Commissioner raising objections to the SIR exercise and requesting that such a process not be undertaken close to elections, stating that it could cause inconvenience to voters and affect the democratic process.
As per the Supreme Court’s official website, the matter is listed before a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M Pancholi. The Bench is also scheduled to hear other petitions related to the SIR exercise.
Petitions filed by Trinamool Congress leaders, including Mostari Banu, and Members of Parliament Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, are also listed. These petitions raise objections to the SIR process and seek adherence to clear guidelines and a transparent procedure before any changes are made to electoral rolls.
The Supreme Court had earlier, on January 19, issued directions stating that the SIR process in West Bengal must be conducted in a fully transparent manner and that no citizen should face inconvenience on account of the exercise.
