Mamta Banerjee makes history, becomes first sitting CM to argue state’s case in Supreme Court
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ February 4,2026
Today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee’s name was entered into the history books as the first sitting head of a state to plead a state’s case before the Supreme Court.
Today West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee appeared before a Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant in a case challenging the legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted in the State.
She had moved an interlocutory application seeking the court’s permission to do so and claimed the Election Commission of India (ECI) was targetting the State as micro-observers were not appointed in any other State where the process was being carried out.
The Supreme Court heard a plea filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. A trained advocate, Banerjee argued her case in person, becoming the first sitting chief minister to present arguments before the Supreme Court.
She has long opposed the SIR drive in the state and wants the upcoming Assembly elections in the state to be conducted as per the voters list of 2025. Banerjee claims the micro-observers appointed by the ECI have led to further exclusions from the 58 lakh already removed. Rakesh Dhawan for ECI objects to this. He says the State government was not cooperating, and hence the micro-observers were appointed to help the EC.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V M Pancholi told the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take care while sending notices to voters on the basis of name mismatches.
The Bench has issued notice to the Election Commission of India in response to her plea on the appointment of micro-observers in the State of West Bengal. The next hearing is posted for Monday, February 9.
