West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue her petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). A former lawyer, Mamata Banerjee, becomes the first sitting Chief Minister in India to argue her case.
The Chief Minister filed an interlocutory application seeking permission to argue in person and has arrived at court room 1 on Wednesday, along with her lawyers. A gate pass was issued in the Chief Minister's name. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi will hear the case.
Mamata was accompanied by her lawyers inside the court. As per reports, she is not wearing the black gown, the attire specific to lawyers. However, she is wearing a black shawl around her neck.
Mamata completed law from Jogesh Chandra Choudhury College of Law, Calcutta, and the last reports of her practising as a lawyer date back to 2003.
What her petition says
In her petition, she claims to be aware of the ground realities faced by residents of West Bengal due to the SIR process. Her appearance in person would assist the Court in the effective adjudication of the case, she has contended.
Seeking to quash multiple directions and instructions issued by the ECI, Banerjee also sought an intervention to ensure that the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections are conducted on the basis of the existing electoral rolls instead of revised rolls.
Her petition also seeks that cases involving name mismatches or spelling variations in the 'logical discrepancy' category not be called for hearing during the ongoing SIR process. All such name corrections must be carried out suo motu on the basis of available records, Bar and Bench quoted her petition. She has also prayed that all documents issued by competent authorities as identification proof be accepted.
Mamata has requested that the names of voters against whom Form-7 has been filed be published online. At the same time, she has requested the Supreme Court to order a stop to the mass filing of Form-7 in future. She has also requested that those who are filing Form-7 be directed to be physically present during the hearing.