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The Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both hailed the Supreme Court’s intervention in Tuesday’s (February 24, 2026) order allowing the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to deploy judicial officers from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha to deal with claims and objections in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court after receiving a letter from the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court detailing the perils of the “enormous exercise” authorised him to request his counterparts in neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand to spare serving or retired judicial officers for the verification work in West Bengal.
The Trinamool welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention the way it has hailed the top court’s order on February 20, when it had directed judicial officers to take part in the SIR process in West Bengal calling it “another resounding victory for Bengal’s Maa-Mati-Manush in the Supreme Court”.
“@ECISVEEP’s arrogant stranglehold on Bengal’s SIR process has been decisively snapped. As Smt. @MamataOfficial demanded and fought tooth and nail, the SC has now taken the reigns, stripping the ECI of its unchecked discretion,” the Trinamool Congress posted on social media from its official handle.
West Bengal’s ruling party called Tuesday’s (February 24) verdict “a decisive affirmation of the constitutional right to vote and a clear reminder that electoral processes cannot be manipulated through administrative overreach or arbitrary standards.”
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the development is a result of “complete politicisation of the administration” in the State and blamed it on Mamata Banerjee’s Government for the ongoing situation.
“It is a matter of shame that the apex court can also realise there is a total politicisation in Bengal administration under the reign of Mamata Banerjee. The inclusion of judicial officers from other States in the SIR process in Bengal does not bring dignity and glory to our State, and the TMC is solely responsible for that,” the BJP leader said.
The Supreme Court has directed the publication of the electoral rolls on February 28, and clarified that the poll panel can issue supplementary lists as the verification process proceeds. Claims and objections of about 50 lakh electors are still pending in the State and the Supreme Court while referring to a “trust” deficit between the EC and the State Government had asked the judiciary to step in.
Published – February 24, 2026 09:54 pm IST
