The row centres on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, ahead of the 2026 Assembly election, and the political-legal battle around it [3][4].
BJP called West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's Supreme Court and Election Commission visits a "scripted drama"/"flop show" aimed at disrupting SIR [3].
Tests aspirants on the electoral roll revision process, ECI's SIR mechanism, and the Centre–State/EC–political party friction typical of federal-electoral governance questions.
Illustrates how electoral roll integrity disputes (illegal migrants, duplicate/dead voters) intersect with high-stakes state elections.
2. Why in the News
On 4 February 2026, Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Supreme Court during hearings on the West Bengal SIR matter, having earlier met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi [4].
On Wednesday (4 February 2026), BJP leaders — Suvendu Adhikari (Leader of Opposition), Samik Bhattacharya (State BJP president/Rajya Sabha MP) and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar — alleged the visit was a "scripted drama" to derail SIR [3].
Adhikari warned that disrupting SIR could trigger President's Rule in West Bengal "after May 5" (implying the poll timeline) [3].
BJP alleged Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were "compelled" to upload false documents under the state government's watch [3].
3. Background & Evolution
SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is a more rigorous, door-to-door re-verification of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), distinct from the routine Special Summary Revision (SSR)[1].
SIR Phase-I was earlier conducted (Bihar, 2025); Phase-II covers 9 States and 3 UTs, including West Bengal, spanning 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly Constituencies, affecting nearly 51 crore electors[1].
Enumeration period: ran for a month, concluding around 4 December 2025 nationally; in West Bengal it ended on 11 December 2025, with the draft electoral roll published on 16 December 2025[1].
Special Roll Observers deployed by ECI to monitor the process until final electoral rolls are published in February 2026[1].
The BJP vs TMC conflict over SIR follows the pattern of the Bihar SIR controversy (2025), where opposition parties alleged mass disenfranchisement, while BJP alleged inclusion of illegal/duplicate voters.
Legal/Constitutional: SIR is exercised under ECI's constitutional mandate (Article 324) to superintend, direct and control preparation of electoral rolls; Supreme Court hearings on SIR test the boundary between ECI's plenary powers and judicial review of electoral processes [4].
Administrative: Implementation via BLOs at ground level raises concerns of document fabrication/coercion, as alleged by BJP, showing federal-local execution risk in a centrally-run exercise [3][1].
Political/Governance: Both principal parties (BJP, TMC) accuse each other of manipulating rolls — TMC of protecting ineligible voters, BJP allegedly of disenfranchising genuine ones — reflecting how electoral roll revision becomes a proxy political battle before elections.
Ethical/Transparency: Allegations of falsified BLO documentation strike at the integrity and transparency of the electoral roll preparation process, a core good-governance concern [3].
Historical: Parallels the 2025 Bihar SIR exercise, indicating SIR is becoming a recurring pre-election ECI tool across states with contested electoral demographics (illegal migration narrative).
6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)
2025 (mid-year onward): SIR Phase-I conducted (Bihar).
Dec 2025: SIR Phase-II enumeration across 9 states/3 UTs concludes; West Bengal enumeration ends 11 Dec 2025, draft roll published 16 Dec 2025 [1].
Early Feb 2026: Mamata Banerjee meets CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi; subsequently appears before Supreme Court on SIR matter (4 Feb 2026) [4].
4-5 Feb 2026: BJP leaders label her visit "scripted drama," allege TMC seeks to protect ineligible voters and warn of President's Rule risk if SIR is disrupted [3].
Feb 2026: Final electoral rolls for Phase-II states expected to be published [1].
7. Prelims Hooks
SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, conducted by the ECI[1].
SIR Phase-II covers 9 States and 3 Union Territories[1].
Phase-II SIR spans 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly Constituencies[1].
West Bengal's SIR enumeration period ended on 11 December 2025[1].
West Bengal's draft electoral roll was published on 16 December 2025[1].
Special Roll Observers are deployed by ECI to monitor SIR until final rolls' publication [1].
Ground-level electoral roll data collection is done by Booth Level Officers (BLOs)[3].
The Election Commission of India's power to prepare/revise electoral rolls stems from Article 324 of the Constitution.
Gyanesh Kumar is the Chief Election Commissioner referenced in this episode [4].
SIR Phase-I (prior round) was conducted in Bihar in 2025.
West Bengal is scheduled for Assembly elections in 2026, making SIR politically contentious.
Suvendu Adhikari, cited in the news, is the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly from Nandigram constituency [3].
8. Mains Relevance
GS-II: Polity & Governance — "Salient features of the Representation of People's Act," "Election Commission of India — powers, functions, Article 324," "Appointment/role of statutory bodies."
GS-II: "Role of pressure groups and formal/informal associations... transparency and accountability" — applicable to political-party vs ECI friction.
Possible Mains stems:
1. "Discuss the constitutional basis of the Election Commission of India's power to conduct intensive revision of electoral rolls. Examine the administrative and political challenges in its implementation." (GS-II)
2. "The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has been both hailed as a tool for roll purification and criticised as an instrument of disenfranchisement. Critically evaluate." (GS-II)
3. "Examine the significance of judicial oversight over the Election Commission's electoral roll revision exercises in preserving free and fair elections." (GS-II)
9. Related Topics to Study Next
Article 324 & ECI powers — constitutional basis for roll revision and election superintendence.
Representation of the People Act, 1950/1951 — statutory framework governing electoral rolls and elections.
Bihar SIR controversy (2025) — precedent case with similar disenfranchisement allegations.
President's Rule (Article 356) — referenced by BJP leader as a contingent scenario for West Bengal.
Illegal migration and NRC/CAA debates — recurring theme in West Bengal's electoral roll politics.
Judicial review of ECI decisions — Supreme Court's evolving jurisprudence on electoral administration.
State election timelines 2026 — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu polls context.
10. Common Errors / Trap Areas
Do not confuse SIR (Special Intensive Revision) with the routine SSR (Special Summary Revision) — SIR is a more exhaustive door-to-door exercise, not an annual routine update [1].
Do not attribute electoral roll revision powers to the Ministry of Home Affairs — it is the ECI's constitutional function under Article 324.
Avoid conflating this West Bengal SIR episode with the Bihar SIR (2025) — they are sequential phases (Bihar = Phase-I precedent; West Bengal is part of Phase-II).
Do not confuse the Chief Election Commissioner with the CJI — the SC hearing and EC meeting are separate institutional interactions (Judiciary vs ECI).
Note Samik Bhattacharya is West Bengal BJP chief and a Rajya Sabha MP, not a Lok Sabha MP — avoid mixing up designations [3].