Mamata Banerjee moves SC over SIR, confronts Delhi Police, meets CEC Gyanesh Kumar

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has moved the Supreme Court against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, confronted Delhi Police over alleged intimidation, and met chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar , sharpening the political confrontation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections .

The petition, filed on January 28 , names the Election Commission of India and the chief electoral officer of West Bengal as respondents. Mamata and the Trinamool Congress have alleged that the SIR exercise is being carried out in a manner that causes hardship to citizens and could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters in poll-bound West Bengal.

Mamata arrived in New Delhi on Sunday and led a 15-member TMC delegation to meet Gyanesh Kumar on Monday. Wearing black shawls as a mark of protest, Mamata, senior party leaders, and representatives of families affected by the SIR met the Election Commission’s top officials. Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, who is also an advocate, were part of the delegation. Party sources said around 50 families impacted by the revision exercise were brought to the capital, with 12 representatives attending the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Mamata confronted Delhi Police outside Banga Bhawan, where SIR-affected families were staying, questioning the heavy security deployment. She alleged that people from West Bengal who had come to raise their grievances before the Election Commission were being threatened and prevented from speaking freely. “We came here for justice,” she said, insisting that affected families must be allowed to present their concerns.

Addressing police personnel on camera, Mamata accused the force of acting under instructions and attempting to restrict the movement of SIR-affected families. She announced that the families would address the media directly, stating that their voices should not be silenced while seeking justice.

The Trinamool Congress has maintained that the SIR, conducted between November and mid-December 2025, led to a sudden and unusually rapid reduction in voter numbers, triggering confusion and distress among citizens. The party has questioned the methodology of the exercise and argued that it goes beyond the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

Speaking earlier at Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi, Mamata accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of resorting to the SIR because it anticipates defeat in the upcoming elections. She said the party should contest elections politically and democratically rather than through administrative measures.

Earlier, TMC leaders including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen had approached the Supreme Court challenging aspects of the SIR process, including verification and deletion practices. Mamata’s petition has now escalated the legal challenge, with the party asserting that the exercise has caused widespread distress and threatens the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.