Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee is likely to be present in the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday when her petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state comes up for hearing.
According to sources, Banerjee plans to attend the proceedings related to her plea against the Election Commission of India, which is likely to be heard along with other petitions questioning the legality of the SIR exercise in West Bengal. The Supreme Court’s security wing has reportedly cleared her visit, with Banerjee being a Z+ category protectee.
The matter is scheduled to be listed on Wednesday, February 4, and the case titled ‘Mamata Banerjee versus Election Commission of India’ has appeared in the court’s cause list for that date. Banerjee filed her petition on January 28, challenging the ongoing revision of voter lists in the state. In her plea, she has questioned both the legality and the manner of implementation of the SIR process, alleging political bias and an authoritarian approach by the poll panel. At a recent public rally, the Chief Minister had stated that she might argue the case herself, describing her role as that of a petitioner representing the people of Bengal.
Separately, Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday evening, flagging what she described as “immense inconvenience and agony” caused by the SIR exercise. In the letter, she claimed that the process had allegedly resulted in as many as 140 deaths across the state.
The listing of the plea has drawn political attention, with the case being closely watched for its potential impact on the conduct of the SIR and the wider electoral process in West Bengal.