Mamata Banerjee in Supreme Court for SIR case: LIVE UPDATES

The Supreme Court is hearing petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in various States.

Notably, the hearing in petitions related to the SIR in West Bengal may see Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee make arguments. She has moved an interlocutory application seeking permission to appear and argue in person and is present at the Supreme Court, along with her lawyers.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi is hearing the matter.

Banerjee had earlier filed an Article 32 petition challenging the SIR process. Among other prayers, she has sought a direction that the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections be conducted on the basis of the existing electoral rolls instead of rolls that will be revised after SIR. She has also sought urgent directions to halt the deletion of voters from the electoral rolls.

Track this page for live updates from the hearing today.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrives.

She is seated in courtroom 1 for the hearing.

Delhi police tighten security in and around court premises.

Hearing begins.

CJI Surya Kant: Item 37 is by Madam Mamata Banerjee?

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan: Yes.

Senior Advocate Divan appearing in item 36.

Shyam Divan: This court had directed that logical discrepancy list has to be displayed.

(Reads the earlier court order)

CJI Kant: I had the advantage of my two brothers from West Bengal. They told me how pass certificates are issued and that is why we included it

Shyam Divan: Please see the brief note by the petitioner... see the number of days left to complete the hearing only 4 days. Unmapped voters are 32 lakhs. 1.36 crores in logical discrepancy list. Hearings pending 63 lakhs.

Shyam Divan: Please see this, number of micro observers deputed is 8,300. They are not contemplated under the constitution at all. Number of approved documents rejected... domicile certificates, Aadhaar, OBC certificate.. nothing of these are being accepted. People are in 4 to 5 hours queues.

Shyam Divan: ECI has to upload the reasons for citing each of the names in the logical discrepancy list. After directions of this court, name, age, gender is there and in reasons is only D and M. No reasons are given.

Justice Bagchi: We were informed that it is on the website.

Shyam Divan: Some short reasons must be given. People should know why they are not in the list.

CJI Kant: Yes to the extent the person should know is fine... only thing is the mode in which they are informed. We were told that list is not only communication but individual notices are being given.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi: Yes, notices are being sent.

CJI Kant: You say due to mismatch of names... etc... these are well explained reasons.

Shyam Divan: Please see the note. We have sought ECI to direct withdraw all notices which pertain to only name mismatch .

CJI Kant: This a clause 2...

Shyam Divan: It is again a name mismatch.

CJI Kant: Suppose one person writes 'Dutta' and some may spell it as 'Datta'...

Shyam Divan: Yes yes that is one part.

Justice Bagchi: Same with 'Bandhopadhyay'.

Shyam Divan: We have given 'Dutta', 'Ganguly', 'Roy' and 'Ray'.

CJI Kant: To withdraw notices will be impractical since it has been issued already

Shyam Divan: This is a suggestion... in the LD list... majority... almost 70 lakhs are of minor name mismatches.

Shyam Divan: We have given you examples of actual electors. Please see appendix one... Mr Chirag Tibrewal. His discrepancy was father's name mismatch since father has 'Kumar' as the middle name. I was called with a notice. Then comes Azimuddin Khan... father name shows 'Alauddin Khan' in Bengali... so from Bengali to English... you can loose this.

Sr Adv Gopal S: 2002 electoral roll was in Bengali.

CJI Kant: What is the solution?

Shyam Divan: Name discrepancy is cramping the available time.

Look at the inconvenience

CJI Kant: Mr Dwivedi, some discrepancy is due to how you speak in local dialect... such things happen pan India.

Dwivedi: I don't have instructions today.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal: Mr Dwivedi had made a solemn statement that he will not bother about it.

Justice Bagchi: Mr Dwivedi, in Bengal you will called "Mr Dibedi". Bengali language does not have a "va".

CJI: My name will be pronounced correctly.

Mamata Banerjee: No it will not Sir.

CJI Kant: If state provides a team well conversant in Bangla and tell the commission that it is local dialect mistake... then it will help them. It is apparent in some cases.

Mamata Banerjee: I belong to that state . I am very grateful because of your kindness. When justice is crying behind the door... then we thought we are not getting justice anywhere. We wrote 6 letters to the election commission. I am a bonded labour... I prefer that, I am not fighting for my party.

CJI Kant: State of West Bengal in its own right has also filed a writ petition. One of the best counsels are there in SC to represent the case of the state. Mr Divan, Mr Sibal and best of best are there to assist us.

CJI Kant: On January 19, Mr Sibal had explained procedural difficulties being faced by the state. Directions were then issued, today in your plea some additional issues are flagged, every problem has a solution we must ensure that solution comes and no innocent person is left out. One objective is to weed out dead, then to weed out them who are disqualified... and then migrants genuine persons must remain on the rolls.

CJI Kant: But by virtue of this kind of mistake such bonafide persons cannot be left out.

Senior Advocate DS Naidu: We are clueless about what is the grievance as we have not been served.

Mamata Banerjee: Please allow me.

CJI: Entire procedure has a timeline . We had extended it for 10 days. And now only 4 days are left. We cannot grant you the luxury of one week.

CJI Kant: If 'Roy', 'Dutta', 'Ganguly', etc are being left out... We don't know how 'Tagore' is pronounced... but that does not mean 'Tagore' is not Tagore.

Mamata Banerjee: I am giving you the example. I can show you the photos. It is not my photograph... it is by leading newspapers. The SIR process is only for deletion... Suppose a daughter after marriage goes to in-laws house... questions are why she is using husbands title etc... That is what they are doing, there are some daughters who moved to in-laws' house, they are unilaterally deleted. Sometimes poor people purchase flat. Sometimes they shift... but all are deleted. They violated your order and said it is an incorrect mapping.

Mamata Banerjee: They say with Aadhaar we want another certificate. In other states domicile caste certificate, etc nothing is allowed. They only targeted West Bengal on the eve of election. They wanted to do something in 2 months which takes 2 years. When people are out they did it. BLOs committed suicided and they blamed the election officials. It is because of the harassment, West Bengal is targeted, why not Assam?! Why not Assam?!!

CJI Kant: Regarding Aadhaar... SIR validity issue we have reserved judgment and thus we cannot comment on the issue Aadhaar card also has own limitations. Now on the discrepancy part is that give a team of officers and let the election commission take them to verify and see how names are mismatched. Let us give them one day.

Mamata Banerjee: ERO has no role now... Micro observers have been appointed from the BJP ruled states to delete the names, 58 lakhs deleted in first phase... so many called dead... This Election Commission, sorry the 'WhatsApp Commission' is doing all of this.

Mamata Banerjee: They are not allowing domicile certificate, etc.

Dwivedi: We wrote so many times to the state to give class 2 officers to be appointed as ERO. Only 80 officers were given... Fault lies with them that is why we appointed micro observers.

Mamata Banerjee: There are no statutory rules.

Mamata Banerjee: Matter is not correct My Lord!

SG Mehta: There is an affidavit by the ECI in one matter... let it be listed as well.

Mamata Banerjee: That is not correct... please listen to me. We have 23 districts. SDM is dependent on district wise. We have given all class 2 officers. They are telling what, I don't believe. In the second phase 1.30 Crore have been left out. They have targeted West Bengal by micro observers and to bulldoze West Bengal people. The Logical discrepancy list cannot be deleted, this is my submission.

CJI Kant: Let us hear this on Monday. Please give us the list of officers whom you can spare...

SG Mehta: ECI says there is an atmosphere of hostility towards ECI officials.

CJI Kant: Also to ECI... please send notices carefully. You cannot put out notable authors, etc.

Senior Advocate Gopal S: In every list they are bringing new issues without any legal basis.

CJI Kant: Issue notice on both the petitions. During course of hearing, SG says there is another plea in which ECI affidavit filed will have some bearing on this case. Let that case be also taken up on Monday. We will hear this on Monday.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee: Please protect the people rights. We are grateful.