SC Extends February 14 Deadline For SIR In West Bengal By One More Week

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has extended the publishing of Final Voter List by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in its West Bengal Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise by one weeks’ time from its scheduled date, February 14, 2026, amid the ongoing legal challenges.

In addition to this, taking note of allegations raised in the ECI’s counter-affidavit filed against pleas opposing SIR, over certain persons burning Form 7 (objection forms), the bench led by CJI Surya Kant issued a show-cause notice to the Director General of Police (DGP in West Bengal). The DGP was directed to explain the steps taken to maintain law and order.

Directions Issued on SIR to ECI 

In order to streamline the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal and to address apprehensions raised by various stakeholders, the Court has issued certain additional directions. The top court directed the West Bengal Government to submit, by 5 pm on Tuesday, the list of 8,505 officers proposed to be deputed by it. 

The ECI was granted discretion to replace Electoral Registration Officer (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AEROs) and to utilise the services of these officers, if required. From the remaining officers, the ECI may, after a brief scrutiny of their biodata, shortlist personnel equivalent to the strength of the micro-observers already engaged and provide them brief training to assist the EROs, AEROs and micro-observers.

The Court clarified that these officers shall only assist in the process and that the final decision shall rest solely with the EROs.

ECI’s Logical Discrepancy List

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise of voter roll undertaken by the ECI in West Bengal. Banerjee, pertinently contended that people’s names have been put under the ECI’s Logical Discrepancy list on minor dialectical issues over spellings of names, and other such problems, and objection notices have been issued to people without providing them with reasons.

Earlier, the West Bengal Chief Minister appeared in-person and submitted that the State is being targeted by ECI only to delete voters and not to include them or rectify erroneous listings. After hearing the Chief Minister and her lawyers, the Court had sought ECI’s response to her plea.

On Monday, the Court also examined the controversial “logical discrepancy” list generated by software, which flagged nearly 1.36 crore voters,  about 20% of the electorate. 

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan warned that minor spelling variations, middle name mismatches, and unrealistic family size assumptions were leading to mass exclusions. Justice Bagchi also criticised the software’s inability to account for social realities such as early marriages.

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