ECI Flags WB Non-Compliance Over SIR, Sets Feb 9 Deadline
ECI Flags WB Non-Compliance Over SIR, Sets Feb 9 Deadline
Election Commission flags non-compliance by West Bengal on SIR directives, setting a February 9 deadline as Mamata Banerjee argues the case in the Supreme Court.
The Election Commission of India has written to the West Bengal government, flagging non-compliance with its directions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll and has set a February 9, 2026 deadline for compliance reports. The commission cited non-compliance with at least five directions in a letter to the state’s chief secretary. The move comes as Mamata Banerjee became the first sitting chief minister to personally argue her petition before the Supreme Court and urged it to protect democracy and people’s lives. The court sought a response from the ECI on withdrawing notices to millions of voters over minor spelling variations and dialect-based discrepancies during the SIR. The court will hear the matter next on February 9.
West Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, has been at loggerheads with the ECI over the SIR, with Banerjee repeatedly challenging the commission’s procedures. The ECI’s notice and the ensuing courtroom engagement underscore the tension between the election watchdog and the state government as the revisions proceed. The commission’s letter stresses that several concrete actions were not completed according to its directives, including the filing of cases against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for allegedly adding names of fictitious voters and compromising data security, the suspension of an AERO, the deployment of 11 additional AEROs to conduct hearings, the cancellation of transfers of three Electoral Roll Observers, and the appointment of sub-divisional officers as EROs and Returning Officers. You are requested to send compliance by 3 pm on February 9, 2026.
The political clash around SIR mirrors a broader contest over how electoral rolls are maintained and updated, with both sides accusing the other of undermining the integrity of the process. As the Supreme Court weighs the arguments, all eyes will be on whether the WB administration can align with the ECI’s directives by the deadline, or if the matter will surge back into the courtroom before the next hearing date.
