Supreme Court to Hear SIR Case Ahead of West Bengal Polls; Decision on Voter Eligibility Likely

April 14, 2026 : Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, the Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear arguments today concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The matter will be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi.

The voter list has already been finalised for two phases of polling. Under the apex court’s supervision, more than 27 lakh names were removed following adjudication during the revision process.

The court is now expected to determine the status of voters who have been cleared as valid by the tribunal. If recognised again, the bench may decide whether these individuals will be permitted to vote in the ongoing election cycle. Tribunal proceedings are also set to commence today.

Last week, a fresh plea urged the court to allow voters reinstated by the tribunal to exercise their franchise and ensure that all mapped voters are able to participate in the elections. According to sources, similar submissions are likely to be made by the state’s legal representatives.

In an earlier hearing, the court clarified that affected voters would not permanently lose their voting rights. However, their eligibility to vote in the present election remains under consideration.

Separately, the court will also hear a case linked to a probe by the National Investigation Agency into an incident in Malda, where judges involved in SIR adjudication were allegedly gheraoed and intimidated.

Court sources further indicated that former judges recently visited the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Institute in Joka, Kolkata, where tribunal proceedings will be conducted. Out of 19 designated benches, most are expected to begin functioning from today.