New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to examine the petition submitted by West Bengal's Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, contesting the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, which is gearing up for elections this year.

According to the cause list available on the Supreme Court's official website, a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N.V. Anjaria, will hear Banerjee's plea, alongside similar requests from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs Dola Sen and Derek O'Brien on February 9.

In her petition, Chief Minister Banerjee has raised concerns about the legality of the SIR process, accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of political bias. She claims that the current voter revision process threatens to remove the names of countless voters from marginalized communities.

She is requesting urgent orders to prevent the ECI from striking off any voter's name during the SIR, particularly those categorized under 'logical discrepancy.'

During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the ECI regarding Banerjee's petition and scheduled further discussions for Monday.

The CJI Kant-led Bench remarked that variations in spelling due to local dialects are common across India and should not be grounds for excluding legitimate voters.

Addressing the court, CM Banerjee highlighted that women who adopt new surnames after marriage and individuals relocating are disproportionately impacted.

She accused the state of selective targeting ahead of the elections, pointing out that similar voter revision processes are not occurring in Northeastern states like Assam, and that her repeated communications with the ECI have gone unanswered.

In response to these claims, the CJI-led Bench promised to find a 'practical solution,' emphasizing that no valid voter's rights should be infringed upon.

In a related move before the significant court hearing on Monday, the West Bengal government has notified the ECI that it can supply 8,505 Group-B officers to assist with the remaining SIR.

The state has also emphasized the need for Bengali-speaking officers to mitigate language and spelling-related issues.

Meanwhile, the ECI clarified that permanent resident certificates issued by elected officials or Block Development Officers (BDOs) will not be accepted as valid identity proof for the SIR process.

The commission stated that only certificates issued by District Magistrates, Additional District Magistrates, and Sub-Divisional Officers – and in Kolkata, by Collectors – under relevant laws established in 1999 will be considered valid.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has expressed discontent with this clarification, with CM Banerjee accusing the ECI of intentionally disregarding valid documents to eliminate genuine names from the electoral roll.