Mamata takes the stand: Bengal CM might argue SIR case herself in Supreme Court

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is gearing up to step into the Supreme Court not just as a petitioner, but as her own advocate. On Wednesday, she’s expected to seek permission from the Chief Justice to personally argue her case challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, if permitted, potentially becoming the first sitting chief minister in India to do so if the court greenlights her bold bid.

The controversy centers on Mamata’s fierce objection to the ongoing SIR process in Bengal, which she and her party claim is disenfranchising ordinary voters under a cloak of bureaucratic overhaul.

Critics argue the revisions could disproportionately impact supporters of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of looming state elections — turning what should be a dry technical exercise into a full-blown political fight.


Last month, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with justices Dipankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi, issued a slew of binding directions to the ECI to make the revision process more transparent, accessible, and voter-friendly, while reiterating that the core objective of the exercise was to ensure that no eligible voter was excluded.

The court laid down a clear voter-first roadmap, ordering that anyone flagged for discrepancies must be formally informed, properly assisted and given a real chance to prove their eligibility.

To widen access, it broadened hearing locations to include panchayat and block offices, directed officials to issue written acknowledgements for every submission, and asked the Election Commission to publicly display lists of voters served notices for “logical discrepancies” at local offices, tightening the screws on transparency.