Mamata Banerjee Set to Appear Personally in Supreme Court Today Over Bengal Voter Roll Row

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to appear in person before the Supreme Court on Wednesday to challenge the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. She has sought the court’s permission to argue her case herself, filing an interlocutory application to appear as a party in person.

The matter will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi. A gate pass issued in Banerjee’s name confirms her appearance in Courtroom 1, where her Article 32 writ petition will be taken up along with related pleas filed by Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen.

In her application, Banerjee said her personal presence would help the court better understand the ground-level impact of the SIR exercise in West Bengal. She argued that the revision process could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Banerjee also cited her legal background, noting that she holds an LLB degree and is familiar with Supreme Court procedures and decorum.

Also Read: Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest Delegation to CEC Over SIR Issues in Bengal

The chief minister’s main petition, filed on January 28, seeks to quash several ECI directions linked to the SIR. She has urged the court to direct that the upcoming Assembly polls be conducted using the existing electoral rolls, not those revised through the ongoing exercise. She has also sought relief on issues such as spelling errors, name mismatches, and acceptance of valid identity documents without requiring individual hearings.

The SIR process has been sharply criticised by the Trinamool Congress, which alleges it is rushed, arbitrary, and prone to errors that could exclude genuine voters. While the Supreme Court earlier asked the ECI to ensure transparency and reduce inconvenience to voters, Wednesday’s hearing is expected to be crucial in determining how the revision exercise proceeds in poll-bound West Bengal.

Also Read: Mamata Banerjee Set to Meet CEC Over SIR Controversy on Monday