New Delhi, February 21, 2026 — In an unprecedented and "extraordinary" intervention, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to deploy serving and former judicial officers — at the rank of district judge or additional district judge — to adjudicate pending claims and objections in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The apex court's three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi (or V.M. Pancholi in some reports), described the move as necessary due to "extraordinary circumstances" arising from a deep "trust deficit" and an "unfortunate blame game" between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The SIR exercise, aimed at intensive verification and revision of voter lists to ensure electoral integrity, has faced significant hurdles in West Bengal. Millions of voters have been flagged under categories like "logical discrepancy," leading to claims and objections that require quasi-judicial adjudication by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). Disputes over the deputation of sufficient state officers (particularly at the level of Sub-Divisional Magistrates or equivalent) to assist the ECI have stalled progress, with allegations and counter-allegations from both sides.
Lamenting the impasse, the Supreme Court observed that the process was stuck at the crucial stage of scrutinizing documents submitted by affected voters to determine their inclusion or exclusion from the rolls. To ensure "fairness in the adjudication of the genuineness of documents" and prevent further delays — especially with elections approaching — the bench invoked its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
The court requested the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to spare judicial officers with "impeccable integrity," including retired ones in the rank of additional district judge or district judge. These officers will handle the disposal or revisiting of claims under the "logical discrepancy" category in each district. They will be assisted by micro-observers from the ECI and state government officers already deputed for SIR duties.
The bench emphasized that this was a rare and exceptional step, taken only because no other viable option remained to break the deadlock and complete the exercise transparently. The Supreme Court also directed a meeting on February 21 involving the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, the State Election Commissioner, West Bengal's Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and Advocate General to finalize deployment logistics, including administrative and security support.
Additionally, the court permitted the ECI to publish the processed and cleared voter list on February 28, with any remaining inclusions or exclusions to follow in supplementary rolls, as adjudication remains an ongoing process.
The order comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has previously criticized the SIR process, alleging it targets genuine voters. The ECI maintains the revision is essential for accurate electoral rolls.
This judicial intervention underscores the apex court's commitment to safeguarding democratic processes while highlighting the challenges in inter-institutional coordination during sensitive electoral exercises. Further developments are awaited as the Calcutta High Court acts on the directions.
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