TMC moves SC challenging deletion of 5.8 million names from draft voters list of West Bengal under SIR

A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sounded a warning on the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ (SIR) carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal, her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the deletion of a number of names from the voter list.

Mamata Banerjee had said if needed, she would personally appear in the court against the exercise.

Advertisement

Pointing out that a staggering number of 5.8 million names have been excluded in the SIR process, the TMC alleged that no notice has been issued to the aggrieved voters nor any hearing has been granted to them in the matter. Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien filed the case in the apex court on behalf of the TMC.

Stating that as many as 58 lakh 20 thousand 898 individuals have been removed from the draft voter list published by the ECI in West Bengal on December 16, 2025, the TMC MP lamented that no personal hearings were conducted nor were any notices sent to the affected voters.

Following the SIR exercise undertaken by the ECI, as many as 7 crore 66 lakh 37 thousand and 529 voters were declared, of which 7 crore 8 lakh 16 thousand 616 decreased. “A detailed SOP issued by the ECI on August 11, 2023 on the removal of names from the voter list contradicts this move.”

It has been reported that the final voter list will be published on February 14.