Chicago – February 06, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made Indian political history by personally arguing her case before the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Filed on January 28, 2026, her writ petition challenges the SIR process—launched via notifications on June 24 and October 27, 2025—as unconstitutional, alleging it risks disenfranchising millions through opaque “logical discrepancy” classifications and hasty deletions.
On February 3, Banerjee, a trained lawyer, appeared in person before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, passionately urging protection of democracy and questioning why Bengal was singled out ahead of 2026 assembly polls. She highlighted voter hardships, including over 140 deaths linked to stress, and demanded using 2025 rolls instead.
The EC countered with affidavits citing official threats and non-cooperation, while the court issued notices and listed the next hearing for February 9. This unprecedented move underscores tensions over electoral integrity.
