KOLKATA: The final post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for West Bengal will be announced on 28 February.
In a letter to the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that the revision in the dates was being carried out to comply with the Supreme Court’s directives. The schedule provided by the commission states that the hearing of notices will be held till 14 February and the scrutiny of documents will be completed by 21 February.
A day after the SC on Monday directed the ECI to complete the ongoing process of scrutinising documents related to the SIR process in Bengal within seven days of the earlier deadline of 14 February, the office of the state CEO on Tuesday asked Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to implement the SC directives failing which strong action would be taken against them.
The CEO's office sent a directive to District Electoral Officers (DEOs) as well as District Magistrates (DMs) to circulate the CEO’s instructions to all EROs and AEROs across the state.
“In reference to above I am directed to state that the Order of the Hon’ble SC dated 09.02.2026 in WP 1089/2025 and connected matters has directed EROs/AEROs to dispose of notice cases, claims and objections within a week after 14.02.26,” stated the letter written to DEOs by the additional CEO.
On Monday, the apex court stated, “We direct that at least one week beyond 14.02.2026 be granted to the EROs/AEROs to complete the scrutiny of the documents and take an appropriate decision.”
“EROs/AEROs should be directed to strictly comply with the above timelines and directions of the Hon’ble SC while disposing of notice, claims and objections pertaining to SIR 2026,” the additional CEO stated in the letter.
“Deviations if any will be viewed very seriously and adverse inference shall be drawn against the concerned EROs/AEROs,” it said.
ECI sources said a high-level delegation of the commission is likely to visit Bengal for two days from 2 March to take stock of the situation in the poll-bound state. The delegation members would hold a meeting with Agarwal, additional CEO and special roll observers and administrative officers in the state.
On Tuesday, the ECI held a meeting with CEOs of the five poll-bound states West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry at Nirvachan Sadan in Delhi.
Monday's SC order on the SIR in Bengal had both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP claiming vindication.
While the ruling party in the state claimed that the apex court had delivered a “stinging rebuke” to the ECI, the opposition BJP said the judgment had dealt a setback to the ruling dispensation in the state, which had allegedly attempted to stall the SIR exercise.
"In unequivocal terms, the Court has ordered that micro-observers can only assist EROs/AEROs, and that final authority rests solely with EROs. Further, the Court has directed that 8,505 Bengal officials be tagged to EROs to support the SIR process," the official X handle of Trinamool posted hours after the apex court judgement.
BJP state chief Samik Bhattacharya, on his part, said that the apex court had “painted white over the black scarf” that Trinamool leaders, including Mamata, wore during their Delhi visit last week.
“The court order proves that the administration, the state government and the TMC are jointly responsible for the harassment faced by common people, the elderly, and prominent personalities in Bengal during the SIR process,” Bhattacharya had said in Delhi on Monday.