Mamata Banerjee To Argue Plea Against WB SIR : Live Updates From Supreme Court
4 Feb 2026 8:40 AM
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will appear in the Supreme Court today for the petition filed by her against the SIR process in West Bengal.
The matter is before a bench led by CJI Surya Kant.
Banerjee has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India, challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ongoing in the State.
The petition was filed on January 28, stating that the ongoing process will result in “large-scale disenfranchisement” caused by “the opaque, hasty, unconstitutional and illegal actions of the ECI.”
The petitioner has alleged serious irregularities in the classification of individuals under the ‘Logical Discrepancy’ (LD) category, claiming that the list of such persons has not been uploaded online despite directions of the Court.
Mamata Banerjee has contended that the failure to publish the LD list on the official portal has deprived affected persons of transparency and an effective opportunity to respond. Expressing lack of confidence with the SIR process, Banerjee has sought a direction that the polls be conducted based on the existing rolls prepared last year.
Follow this page for live updates from the hearing.
Live Updates
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4 Feb 2026 1:39 PM
CM: 58 lakhs deleted – they did not have option to appeal. Only Bengal is being targeted- to bulldoze WB people. LD case – not to be deleted. They should be cleared by DO and ERO, not by micro observers
CJI: Probably once officers are made available, micro observers won’t be required. [to ECI] Tell your officers also to be sensitive and not issue notice to…
Order: During the hearing, it is pointed out by ld. SG that ECI has filed counter affidavit in…which may have some bearing…ordered to be taken up with these cases on Monday
CM: Sir we are very grateful.
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4 Feb 2026 1:37 PM
Dwivedi: There’s no problem of time
CJI: We have been extending time
CM: My lords…may I tell you sir…my opponent lawyer said…it’s not correct
CJI: Madam Mamata, we have no doubt about ability of Mr Diwan…your point is well taken
CM: It depends on district…SDM depends on district…whatever strength we have, we have provided…they are telling what I don’t believe
CJI: We can find out practical solution. On Monday, give us list of Group B officers you can spare and provide to them.
Order: Issue notice.
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4 Feb 2026 1:32 PM
Dwivedi: We have written several letters to state govt to give us class 2 officers…so that EROs can be appointed. They have given about 80 officers of that rank, others of lower rank. Therefore we had to appoint micro observers. Fault lies with them. Micro observers validly appointed.
CM: There are no statutory rules
Dwivedi: If the state is not cooperating, there is no other option.
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4 Feb 2026 1:32 PM
CJI: Aadhaar card has its own limitations. What will be its value – we are yet to determine. You have pointed out issue of LD. Team of officials can be given, ECI can take them for verification…we will grant them 1 day time
CM: ERO has no power. They have superseded all power from ERO…8300 micro observers…from BJP ruled state…micro observers can delete all names sitting in office…they have not allowed to file Form 6…lakhs deleted…so many people alive declared dead…they are anti-women
CJI: We will direct every document will be signed by BLO who are authorized
SG Tushar Mehta: Govt is a party in one matter.
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4 Feb 2026 1:27 PM
CM Mamata Banerjee: SIR process is only for deletion. Mismatch not only in title sir…unplanned…suppose daughter after marriage goes to in-laws house…why she is using husband’s title…that is also mismatch
CJI: That can’t be
CM Mamata Banerjee: That’s what they have done…there are some daughters who shifted to in-laws house…their names also deleted…sometimes poor people shift…because of logical discrepancy…Bengal people are so happy that this court gave order that Aadhaar will be one of documents…other states, domicile certificate is allowed…caste certificate is allowed…they only targetted Bengal on eve of elections. 4 states going to elections, why after 24 years, what was the hurry to do in 3 months? When harvesting season is there…when people are travelling…more than 100 people died! BLOs died, so many are hospitalized. WHY NOT ASSAM?
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4 Feb 2026 1:24 PM
CJI: Today, in your petition, addl issues are being flagged. Genuine persons must remain. Among them, one of the ground…we are thankful to you that in your petition, this issue has been raised that because of local dialect…nowadays AI assistance causing…we will find out a solution is this is happening. By virtue of this kind of issue, genuine elector must not be excluded
Sr Adv DS Naidu for ECI: We have not been served with pleadings. We will get instructions in a week
CJI: Week’s time will be too late. Entire procedure has a timeline…we have extended for 10 days…out of that, only 4 days left…after that, only 11 days left. We can’t grant luxury of 1 week
CM Mamata Banerjee seeks to argue: Respected CJ sir, I can give examples
CJI: In principle if this issue due to local dialect is happening, then what…you have to come out with [solution].
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4 Feb 2026 1:21 PM
CM Mamata Banerjee: May I explain, I am from that state…I am here because of your kindness…my regards to the bench…thank you very much…humble regards to opposing lawyers also…problem is – when everything is finished, when we are not getting justice, when justice is crying behind the door – then we thought we are not getting justice anywhere. I have written letters to ECI…I am a very less important person, I am not fghting for my party
CJI: State of WB in its own right has also filed a petition. One of the best counsels in this court are there to…Mr Sibal is there…on 19 January, Mr Sibal explained the procedural difficulties of state and where state had genuine apprehension of exclusion of bonafide citizens who are residents of WB.
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4 Feb 2026 1:20 PM
Sr Adv Kapil Sibal: Mr Dwivedi made a solemn statement that this kind of discrepancy…
Dwivedi seeks time till tomorrow
Bench notes translation difficulties
CJI: if state govt provides team of people who are conversant with Bangla and local dialect…they scrutinize and tell ECI that there’s local dialect mistake…it will help.
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4 Feb 2026 1:15 PM
Diwan: Mr. Chirag Tibrewal…his discrepancy was father’s name mismatch…his father’s name had ‘Kumar’ as middle name…[gives another illustration] from Bengali to English, one can lose this…
CJI: Spelling difference is in the name…
Gopal S: 2002 electoral roll was in Bengali, so when they translated
CJI: what’s the solution?
Diwan: Name discrepancy is cramping even the available time. This should not be in LD category…look at the inconvenience
CJI seeks Dwivedi’s response.
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4 Feb 2026 1:07 PM
CJI: We were told list is not the only communication. There’s also individual notice to persons
Sr Adv Dwivedi for ECI: All notices contain reasons. They were permitted to take authorized agents also
Diwan: We seek direction to ECI to withdraw all notices which pertain only to name mismatch.
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4 Feb 2026 1:06 PM
Diwan: Family registers, aadhaar card, OBC certificates, etc. none of them being accepted by themselves. Despite court orders. We seek direction to ECI to upload reasons for each voter flagged as logical discrepancy category…pursuant to Court directions, please see what is being put up…notice just says DM – discrepancy in mapping. Reasons for discrepancy in mapping are not indicated
J Bagchi: When notice is given…
Diwan: There’s a lag…some short reason should be indicated so people know why they are on that list.
CJI: Person should know – no difficulty in that. Question is by what mode.
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4 Feb 2026 1:03 PM
Diwan: We have given a brief note, please see. No. of days left for final publication of electoral rolls – 11 days. No. of days left to complete hearings – 4 days. No. of voters characterized as unmapped – 32 lakhs…LD post draft roll-1.36 cr (20% of electorate)…no. of hearings since 16.12.2025 – 88 lakh hearings…rate of 1.8 lakh per day…no. of hearings pending – 63 lakhs approx…at this rate, speed of 15.5 lakhs per day required…no. of micro observers deputed without statutory basis – 8300.
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4 Feb 2026 1:00 PM
Diwan refers to Court’s last order issuing directions to ECI (regarding logical discrepancy category).
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4 Feb 2026 1:00 PM
Hearing begins
Sr Adv Shyam Diwan represents WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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4 Feb 2026 11:46 AM
Mamata Banerjee has sought the following reliefs in the petition :
A.Set aside ECI’s SIR notification of June 24, 2025 and October 27, 2025.
B. Direct ECI to conduct the forthcoming 18th Legislative Assembly elections in the State of West Bengal in the year 2026, on the basis of the existing Electoral Rolls, 2025
C. Direct ECI to issue written instructions to all DEOs, EROs, AEROs and BLOs that cases involving name mismatches / spelling variations falling under the “Logical Discrepancy” category shall not be called for hearing, and that all such name corrections may be carried out suo motu on the basis of available records
D.Direct ECI to upload all names of ‘unmapped’ and Logical Discrepancy cases online on the CEO and DEO websites
E. Direct ECI to withdraw all hearing notices already issued in the past under the ‘Logical Discrepancy category where the only issue is a name mismatch or spelling variation, and intimate the concerned electors accordingly.
F. Direct the ECI to ensure that no voter marked under the Logical Discrepancy’ category is deleted, and that while any anomalies may be duly rectified, no legitimate voter who has been successfully mapped to the 2002 electoral rolls and has submitted all requisite documents is disenfranchised
G. Direct ECI to accept Aadhar Cards as proof of identity especially in cases of ‘Logical Discrepancy’ without insisting on any other documents
H. Direct ECI to publish online names of all voters in respect of whom Form-7 has been received and to not allow any further bulk submission of Form-7
I. Direct ECI to allow ERO/AERO to dispose of the cases locally where inter-state documents pending with DEO for verification beyond 5 [five] days
J. Direct ECI to withdraw all Micro-Observers from the State of West Bengal
K. In the alternative to prayer (j) above, direct ECI to ensure that Micro-Observers do not exercise any statutory power such as participation in hearings/verification of work done by ERO/AERO in any manner whatsoever with immediate effect
L. Direct ECI to accept all documents issued by competent authorities of the State during the verification process
M. Direct ECI to follow the procedure for disposal of cases by local inquiry/field inquiry in terms of point 5(a) and 5(b) of ECI’s order dated 24.06.2025 and make necessary changes to the ERO/AERO portal/application to facilitate the same;
N.All complainants submitting Form-7 be directed to remain present at the time of hearing;
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4 Feb 2026 11:41 AM
Mamata Banerjee has sought urgent directions to stop the deletion of voters’ names from the rolls.
In an interlocutory application filed last night, Banerjee pointed out that more than 60 lakh hearings are still pending, with the final list scheduled to be published on February 14.
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4 Feb 2026 10:21 AM
Mamata Banerjee arrives in the Supreme Court.
4 Feb 2026 1:11 PM
CJI: are you referring to cases for example…one person writes Datta…different people may use different spellings…
Diwan: We have given actual examples regarding Datta, Ganguly, Roy…
CJI: Withdrawing notices – something impractical…
Diwan: Our estimation is, in logical discrepancy case, a majority (around 70 lakhs) are cases of minor name mismatches and/or spelling variations. We have given actual electors.
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