The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to file an affidavit stating its position on a PIL that questions why the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being conducted using the voter list from 2002 as the base.
The ECI is holding SIR in 12 states, including in West Bengal, where assembly elections are due to be held before mid-2026.
A division bench presided by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul directed the ECI to file the affidavit by November 19, stating its position on the PIL.
The petitioners prayed for a direction to the ECI to hold the SIR on the basis of documents and information as in 2025.
The ECI's counsel stated before the bench, also comprising Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, that the last SIR was done in 2002.
The petitioners also prayed for adequate security to the booth level officers (BLO) who are conducting the exercise on the ground, claiming that some of them were facing an intimidating atmosphere at work.
