Calcutta HC seeks ECI’s response to plea against SIR in West Bengal; Mamata denies receiving enumeration form

The Calcutta High Court has sought the response of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to a plea against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, directing the poll panel to file an affidavit detailing the process.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen issued a notice to the ECI while hearing a petition filed by one Pintu Kumar.

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In the petition, Kumar sought the high court’s direction to the ECI to extend the deadline of the SIR exercise. The court has given the ECI time till November 18 to file its affidavit.

The petitioner questioned the ECI’s directive that the SIR will be conducted based on the voter list of 2002. He urged the court to direct the ECI that the SIR be held based on the 2025 data.

The SIR exercise is currently underway in West Bengal and 11 other states and United Territories. The enumeration phase of the exercise began on Tuesday.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of the Election Commission of India (EC) are visiting households across the state, distributing enumeration forms and collecting voter data.

The nationwide SIR aims to update and authenticate voter lists through a door-to-door verification process.

Mamata denies receiving enumeration form

Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has dismissed reports by Trinamool Congress (TMC) moutpiece Jago Bangla and several other outlets claiming that she has received the enumeration form.

In a Facebook post, Mamata said that she will not fill the enumeration form unless every voter in the state does so.

“Yesterday the responsible BLO came to our school to do his assigned work. In the process, they came to my residence office and identified some voters of the residence and gave the form,” Mamata said.

“Unless every person in Bengal is filling the form, I cannot and will not fill any form myself,” she declared.

She further added,” “Various media and newspapers published that, ‘I came out of the residence and held BLO-R in my hand. Received the enumeration form from you! This news is completely false, misleading and purposefully propagated.”