Cal HC asks ECI to file affidavit on PIL questioning SIR on basis of 2002 voters' list

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India to state its position by filing an affidavit on a PIL questioning why the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being done on the basis of the 2002 voters' list. The ECI is holding SIR in 12 states, including in West Bengal, where assembly elections are due to be held before mid-2026. The commission submitted before the court that the petition is "not maintainable". A division bench presided by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul directed the ECI to file the affidavit by November 19, stating its position on the PIL.

The matter will come up for hearing again on November 19. The petitioners prayed for a direction to the ECI to hold the SIR on the basis of documents and information as in 2025. ECI's counsel Anamika Pandey submitted before the bench that the writ petition is not maintainable as the same issue is pending before the Supreme Court. The petitioners also prayed for adequate security for the booth-level officers (BLO) who are conducting the exercise on the ground, claiming that some of them were facing an intimidating atmosphere at work. The ECI's counsel stated before the bench, also comprising Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, that the last SIR was done in 2002.