Supreme Court Directs Deployment of Judicial Officers in West Bengal’s SIR Exercise

 TMC hails directive, BJP blames state for ‘confusion’

PTI, Feb 20, 2026, New Delhi: In an extraordinary order, the Supreme Court on Friday directed deployment of serving and former district judges to assist the Election Commission in the controversy-ridden special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Ruing the "unfortunate blame game" between the EC and the TMC-led government, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a slew of fresh directions to ensure completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) process in the state. The bench ordered deputation of judicial officers for adjudication of claims and objections of persons put under logical discrepancy list.

It asked the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to spare judicial officers and find former judges to assist in SIR work as it took serious note of state government not sparing enough grade 'A' officers for the revision exercise. The apex court permitted the EC to publish a draft list of voters in the state by February 28 while allowing the poll panel to also issue supplementary lists later.

The bench directed district collectors and SPs of the state to provide logistical support and security to the judicial officers deputed for the ongoing SIR work while making it clear that orders passed by judicial officers will be deemed as orders of court. It said judicial officers will be assisted by micro-observers and state government officials in the SIR process. The Supreme Court also directed the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to hold a meeting by Saturday of all the stakeholders including the chief secretary, DGP and an official from the EC.

Logical discrepancies in progeny linking with the 2002 voter list include instances of a mismatch in the parent's name and the age difference between a voter and their parent being less than 15 years or more than 50 years.

The ruling TMC hailed the Supreme Court's decision, while the BJP accused the state government of creating confusion at the ground level. Reacting to the order, the TMC claimed it vindicated its allegations of irregularities in the revision drive. "HUGE VICTORY FOR THE PEOPLE OF BENGAL! Today marks a historic demolition of the Election Commission's bloated arrogance," the party said in a social media post.

The TMC alleged that the roll observers had been "stonewalling and parking legitimate claims" and attempting to erase genuine voters.

It said the apex court had delivered a "knockout punch" by directing that all claims, objections and discrepancy cases be handled by impartial judicial officers appointed by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. "This is a blow to an Election Commission that ditched its sacred Constitutional duty," the post said, accusing the poll body of acting in a partisan manner.

On the other hand, Union Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar blamed the Mamata Banerjee government for the impasse.

Majumdar said the TMC government had been "creating confusion at the ground level" and opposing the SIR exercise. "It is the state administration which has been obstructing the process and misleading people. The Election Commission is only trying to ensure a free and fair revision of the rolls. But the state has been non-cooperative with the poll body from the beginning," he said.

The SIR exercise has triggered intense political sparring in West Bengal, with both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP accusing each other of attempting to manipulate the voter rolls ahead of the next assembly elections.