Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Derek O'Brien has approached the Supreme Court of India, challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. The petition alleges that the poll body's actions led to the arbitrary deletion of a staggering 58 lakh (5.8 million) voters from the state's electoral rolls.
Allegations of Arbitrary and Unlawful Action
The core contention in the plea, filed on January 6, 2026, is that the Election Commission acted outside its legal mandate and followed procedures that lacked transparency and fairness. Derek O'Brien's legal move underscores a significant political and constitutional controversy brewing in the eastern state.
The petition argues that the SIR 2.0 exercise, intended for a thorough revision of voter lists, was conducted in a manner that disenfranchised millions of legitimate voters. It claims the process was not only arbitrary but also violated established norms and laws governing the maintenance of electoral rolls in India.
The SIR 2.0 Exercise Under Scrutiny
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a focused drive by the Election Commission to clean up and update voter lists by identifying and removing duplicate, shifted, or ineligible entries. However, the scale of deletions in West Bengal—amounting to 58 lakh names—has raised massive political and legal red flags.
The TMC MP's petition seeks the Supreme Court's intervention to scrutinize the entire process. It demands accountability from the ECI and potentially a restoration of the names if the deletions are found to be unjustified. The timing of this legal challenge is crucial, as it comes ahead of future electoral battles in the state.
Political Ramifications and Next Steps
This development is set to intensify the ongoing political tussle in West Bengal. The ruling Trinamool Congress has positioned this as a fight to protect democratic rights and voter sanctity. The deletion of such a large number of voters, if upheld, could have profound implications for the electoral landscape of the state.
The Supreme Court's decision on whether to admit the plea and the subsequent legal proceedings will be closely watched. The case touches upon fundamental questions of electoral integrity, the powers of the Election Commission, and the rights of citizens to be duly registered as voters.
All eyes are now on the apex court for its response to this high-stakes petition, which challenges one of the largest voter list purges in recent Indian electoral history.
