Banerjee who appeared as petitioner in person said in court that the SIR process was “not for inclusion but deletion”, and the exercise was ‘targeting’ West Bengal, and termed the Election Commission “WhatsApp Commission”.

In-Person at SC, Mamata Makes Voter Deletion Matter a Battle for Democracy

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee reaches the Supreme Court premises, in New Delhi on February 4, 2026. Photo: PTI.

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday took the battle over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by its horns, appearing before the Supreme Court to challenge the revision of voter lists, which have led to massive deletions in the state’s electoral rolls. With Assembly elections due in March 2027, the chief minister cited Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet and Nobel laureate, to frame the dispute as a moral and constitutional fight to defend democracy.

In an appearance that was high on political optics, Banerjee came as petitioner in-person before a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, Vipul M. Pancholi. She appealed to the bench to “save democracy” and with folded hands sought five minutes to which the CJI said that she would be allowed 15 minutes.

In her submission, Banerjee invoked Tagore and said that justice had been denied ahead of elections. “The problem is, always our lawyers fight for the case – and we are fighting from the beginning – but when everything is finished, when we are not getting justice, when justice is crying behind the door, as Rabindranath Tagore said, that is when we thought, we are not getting justice anywhere,” she said.

“I have written letters to the Election Commission including all details, but no reply. I am a bonded labour. I am a very less important person, I am from a common family, I am not fighting for my party,” she said.

Questioning the timing of the voter roll revisions, Banerjee asked why the SIR was not being conducted in Assam where elections are also due soon and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power.

“They have only targeted Bengal on the eve of elections. Why, after 24 years, and what was the hurry to do in two months what will take two years? When the festival season is there, when the harvest season is there, when people are in no mood to be in the city, they are troubling people by issuing notices. More than 100 people have died. Booth Level Officers have died [after] writing letters, because of the harassment. Many are hospitalised. Bengal is targeted. Sir, tell me, why not Assam? Why not (the) northeast?” said Banerjee in court.

Banerjee, in Delhi since the past two days, met ECI officials, bringing with her several women whose names have been deleted in the Bengal SIR process. She brought up instances of so-called logical discrepancies, saying women who had changed their surname and address after marriage and migrant workers whose addresses have changed have been deleted as voters, citing mismatches or discrepancies.

The CJI said that petitions have already been filed on the SIR process in West Bengal and the court has heard various lawyers, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who had flagged multiple concerns. The court had, on January 19, passed directions for verification of the logical discrepancy list.

However, Banerjee said that the Election Commission was not following the Supreme Court’s directions. She said Aadhaar cards were being accepted in other states but not in Bengal, where other documents, such as domicile certificate, caste certificates, government housing certificates were also not being accepted.

CJI Kant said that the Aadhaar card [number] had its own limitations and the court could not comment further as the judgement on the legality of the SIR process had been “reserved” – meaning that it awaited the final decision of the top court.

“Fifty-eight lakh people are deleted. Living people are declared dead. They are targeting Bengal, only for Bengal they have appointed micro-observers. They want to bulldoze the people of Bengal,” she said.

Appearing for the Election Commission, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said that observers had to be appointed as the state government did not provide enough Group-B officers. Banerjee said that across 23 districts as many officers as could be had been provided.

The court has issued a notice to the poll body on the chief minister’s plea, and sought a response by Monday. It has also said that the state government can provide a list of Group B officers who can be spared for the SIR exercise, then micro-observers can be relieved.

Following the hearing, the TMC in a post on X, called it a “big win.”

“BIG WIN for Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee in the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the party said.

The party added: “After her plea, the Hon’ble Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission in the SIR matter, and directed EC officials to act with sensitivity. The Court also made it clear that Micro Observers may not be required. Inside the Supreme Court, Mamata Banerjee wore the lawyer’s coat, argued with facts, and forced accountability.”