West Bengal’s political arena intensifies as the Supreme Court schedules a key hearing today on CM Mamata Banerjee’s petition contesting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. CJI DY Chandrachud’s bench, including Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will unpack allegations of ECI overreach alongside related TMC pleas.
The core contention: SIR’s aggressive voter verification is purging legitimate names on flimsy pretexts like ‘logical discrepancies’ in records. Banerjee alleges this biases against the underprivileged, with married women and address-changers bearing the brunt, orchestrated to tilt Bengal’s electoral scales pre-assembly polls.
She contrasts Bengal’s ordeal with untouched northeastern peers like Assam, slamming ECI’s silence on her outreach. The petition demands immediate halts to deletions, preserving democracy’s foundation.
Last week’s proceedings saw the court issue ECI notices, critiquing deletion logic amid India’s spelling diversity. Assurances flowed: practical fixes ahead, no room for voter alienation. Today’s agenda promises rigorous examination.
With MPs Dola Sen and Derek O’Brien bolstering the challenge, the case spotlights ECI accountability. A favorable ruling might impose safeguards, ensuring revisions empower rather than exclude.
This saga transcends Bengal, probing federal tensions and judicial oversight in elections. As the gavel falls, it could redefine voter rights, compelling ECI reforms for equitable processes nationwide.