West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday ahead of a key hearing on petitions challenging the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Banerjee has filed an interlocutory application seeking permission to argue the matter in person. A gate pass in her name was issued on Tuesday, confirming her appearance.
According to the Supreme Court’s cause list, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, is scheduled to hear the petitions.
The pleas have been filed by Banerjee and three others, including Mostari Banu and Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen.
Court records indicate that Banerjee has registered herself as a “party in person”.
Sources and senior registry officials said she is expected to personally address the bench during the proceedings. If so, this would mark the first instance of a sitting Chief Minister appearing in person to argue a case before the apex court.
Banerjee holds a law degree from Jogesh Chandra Choudhury College of Law in Kolkata.
Reacting to the development, former Additional Solicitor General K.C. Kaushik described it as unprecedented. “In my 45 years in the legal profession, I have never seen a sitting Chief Minister argue a case in court. It is historic,” he said.
The Supreme Court hearing comes amid escalating political tensions over the SIR exercise in West Bengal. On Tuesday, Banerjee demanded the impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for opposition unity on the issue.
A day earlier, Banerjee and her delegation walked out of a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner and other election officials, alleging that they were humiliated during discussions on the revision of electoral rolls.
At a press conference attended by individuals who claim to have been affected by the SIR, Banerjee alleged that voters whose names were being removed from the rolls were predominantly supporters of the Trinamool Congress. She claimed the deletions disproportionately affected Dalits, tribals, minorities and other marginalised communities.
“Are we going to tell 23% SCs, 6% STs and 33% Muslims to leave my state?” she asked, questioning the broader implications of the exercise.
Responding to a question on whether the TMC would support Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s proposal for a law with retrospective effect to hold the Chief Election Commissioner accountable, Banerjee said her party also wanted Kumar’s impeachment. “We may not have the numbers, but there is a constitutional provision. If Congress moves in that direction, we will discuss it with our MPs,” she said.
Banerjee further asserted that the TMC would contest the upcoming Assembly elections on its own and challenged the BJP to fight electorally rather than, as she alleged, “using” the Election Commission. She also warned against what she termed the imposition of a “super emergency” atmosphere in Bengal, stating that democratic institutions must remain accountable to the people.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter later today.
(With inputs from PTI, ENS)