West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took her grievances over the voter list overhaul directly to the Supreme Court, which responded by issuing a notice to the Election Commission on Wednesday. The court, under CJI Sanjiv Khanna alongside Justices Jyamalaiya Bagchi and V.M. Pancholi, promised to find a workable solution to the SIR disputes rocking the state.
Banerjee, standing before the judges, detailed the human cost: suicides among Booth Level Officers (BLOs), long queues, and deaths exceeding 100. She accused the process of bias against Bengal, particularly impacting married women whose names were struck off for surname updates. ‘Bengal is being targeted,’ she asserted.
Her counsel, Shyam Divan, laid out stark facts: 70 lakh notices for trivial name mismatches, ignored proofs like OBC and Aadhaar cards, and deployment of unauthorized micro-observers. With mere days before the voter roll deadline, Divan demanded immediate recall of flawed notices.
The ECI countered through Rakesh Dwivedi, attributing delays to the state’s shortfall in appointing adequate officers. The court rebuked hasty deletions, instructing poll officials to verify discrepancies carefully and protect legitimate voters.
‘We’ll address the spelling issues with the ECI,’ CJI Khanna assured, while noting ongoing Aadhaar litigations. The bench fixed Monday for further proceedings, signaling judicial intervention to smoothen the electoral path without disenfranchising millions.
As political stakes rise, this hearing highlights the friction in ensuring clean voter rolls versus accessibility, with Mamata’s dramatic appearance amplifying calls for reform.