SIR row reaches Supreme Court; Mamata cites spelling errors, voter data mismatches

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, raising concerns over several “logical discrepancies” in voter data verification. During the hearing, Banerjee’s plea highlighted issues such as minor spelling errors and mismatches in names, which could potentially lead to wrongful exclusion of voters.

During the previous hearing on January 12, the Supreme Court recorded seven categories of discrepancies identified under the SIR process. These included voters missing from the 2002 electoral rolls, age gaps between voters and their parents or grandparents falling below prescribed limits, gender mismatches, and cases involving unusually large family linkages in voter records.

Banerjee’s petition argued that such discrepancies could unfairly affect genuine voters and lead to administrative complications. The plea urged the court to examine the methodology and safeguards adopted during the SIR exercise to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded due to clerical or technical errors. The Supreme Court is continuing to hear arguments from both sides, while the issue has sparked political debate over voter verification procedures and electoral transparency in West Bengal. The matter remains under judicial consideration.