New Delhi, Feb 4 (NationPress) In anticipation of the Supreme Court's upcoming session on a series of petitions contesting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has submitted a new petition requesting that the Supreme Court prevent the Election Commission of India (ECI) from removing any voter's name during the current SIR process in the state.

CM Mamata expressed profound concerns about the potential for widespread disenfranchisement across West Bengal, asserting that the ECI has sent out notifications to voters for even minor or technical errors in their applications, which has fostered an environment of fear and uncertainty among the electorate.

She is seeking immediate interim orders against the electoral body, urging the Supreme Court to guarantee that no names are taken off the 2022 voter list and that no individual is stripped of their voting rights while the issue is under judicial review.

Additionally, she has called for the ECI to accept various documents for voter verification, including Aadhaar, permanent residence certificates, panchayat residence certificates, family registers, socio-economic caste census data, land or house allotment documents, and others issued by relevant state authorities.

The Supreme Court's schedule indicates that a Bench led by Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, is set to hear these petitions concerning the validity of the SIR in West Bengal on February 4.

In her principal petition, CM Mamata has challenged the legality of the SIR process, accusing the ECI of political bias and adopting an authoritarian stance.

She argues that the method in which the revision is being conducted threatens the voting rights of millions, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Describing the ECI's conduct as “deeply concerning for any democratic society,” she has sought the Supreme Court's intervention to protect the constitutional right to vote and uphold the electoral process's integrity.

Previously, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra and Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen approached the Supreme Court on behalf of the ruling party, contesting the SIR in West Bengal. These petitions are also scheduled for hearing by the CJI Kant-led Bench.

This development is particularly significant as CM Mamata had met with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the ECI headquarters in New Delhi on Monday to voice her objections regarding the SIR process.

Following this meeting, the Chief Minister made severe allegations against the CEC, labeling him as “arrogant” and accusing him of targeting West Bengal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She also claimed that genuine voters' names are being systematically deleted from the draft electoral rolls and alleged that special electoral roll observers and micro-observers were appointed specifically for West Bengal to oversee the revision process.

In response, the ECI has denied these claims, with sources indicating that the CEC emphasized during the meeting that the rule of law must be upheld, stating that any form of obstruction, pressure, or interference in the SIR process would not be tolerated.

The ECI has also flagged cases of alleged threats and vandalism directed at electoral officials during the ongoing revision.