Why not Assam? - Mamata Banerjee tells Supreme Court West Bengal is targeted ahead of Elections

Описание: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared in person before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 4, becoming the first sitting Chief Minister to argue her own case in court, as she challenged the legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was “targeting only West Bengal” through the SIR exercise, particularly by appointing micro-observers exclusively in the State.

Questioning the selective approach, Banerjee asked the court, “Why only Bengal? Why not Assam or other States where the same process is underway?” She argued that the appointment of micro-observers had led to further exclusions from the voter rolls.

West Bengal’s draft electoral roll for the first phase of SIR, released on December 16, 2025, reportedly saw the deletion of over 58 lakh voters, with multiple discrepancies flagged, including gender bias, unusually high reports of deaths among young voters, and disproportionate deletions affecting certain communities.

During the hearing, Banerjee made an emotional appeal to the court, saying, “I have only a humble request, My Lords save democracy.” She claimed repeated letters to the ECI had gone unanswered and warned that genuine voters were being excluded ahead of elections.

The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Election Commission of India on the issue of appointing micro-observers in West Bengal and posted the matter for further hearing on February 9.