West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that she may move the courts, including the Supreme Court, to challenge the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to reporters, she cited widespread distress among citizens and alleged deaths of poll officials linked to the SIR process.

“We will fight it out and are seeking legal help. Tomorrow, we will move court. So many people have died. So many have faced harassment. If needed, I will appeal on behalf of the people in the Supreme Court,” Banerjee said, stressing her intent to represent the grievances of voters across Bengal.

The SIR, intended as a technical update of the electoral rolls, has reportedly caused severe public anxiety. Across rural and urban Bengal, elderly, disabled, and daily-wage voters have struggled to prove their eligibility, often traveling long distances, arriving on stretchers, or losing income due to fear of being excluded from the electoral lists.

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According to the Election Commission, 91.46 lakh cases of “logical discrepancy” were identified during progeny-mapping, alongside 58.20 lakh excluded voters and 30 lakh “unmapped” voters unable to link themselves to the 2002 voter list. The Trinamool Congress claims that the process has been carried out in an “unplanned and heartless” manner, and alleges that 40 election officials have died due to the pressure of the exercise.

Following complaints from families of two deceased voters, the Bengal police have filed two cases against the Election Commission. The Commission, however, rejected the allegations, calling them “premeditated, unsubstantiated and a crude attempt to browbeat officers,” asserting that such tactics would fail to derail the electoral process.

With state elections approaching, the dispute over SIR has escalated into a high-profile political and legal issue, highlighting tensions between administrative procedures and public sentiment. Mamata Banerjee’s potential Supreme Court intervention is expected to draw nationwide attention to the controversy.

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