Calcutta HC asks ECI for affidavit on PIL challenging use of 2002 voter list for SIR

Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit an affidavit clarifying its stance on a public interest litigation (PIL) that challenges the use of the 2002 voters’ list for the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The ECI is currently conducting the SIR across 12 states, including West Bengal, where assembly elections are scheduled before mid-2026.

During the hearing, the commission’s counsel informed the court that the petition was “not maintainable.”

A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul instructed the ECI to file its affidavit by November 19, outlining its position on the matter. The court will take up the case again on the same date.

The petitioners have sought the court’s direction for the ECI to carry out the revision based on documents and data updated as of 2025, instead of relying on the voters’ list from 2002.

Appearing for the ECI, counsel Anamika Pandey reiterated that the writ petition was “not maintainable as the same issue is pending before the Supreme Court.”

The petitioners further requested that adequate security measures be provided for booth-level officers (BLOs) engaged in the exercise, alleging that some of them were operating under an “intimidating atmosphere.”

The ECI’s counsel also noted before the bench, which included Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, that “the last SIR was done in 2002."

(With agency inputs)