The Supreme Court is hearing petitions from Trinamool Congress leaders, including Derek O’Brien, regarding problems in West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Over 58 lakh names were deleted from the draft electoral roll released on December 16, 2026. Complaints include strange patterns like many young deaths, gender bias in removals, and some communities facing more deletions. On January 13, 2026, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi told the Supreme Court that the Election Commission’s job during SIR is only to confirm citizenship for voters’ inclusion. He clarified that deportation matters are handled by the central government. The Election Commission had extended the deadline to submit objections to January 19, 2026. Despite this, protests broke out in West Bengal on January 16, 2026. During these protests, two Block Development Officer offices were attacked over two days, highlighting rising tensions. Krishnadas Rajagopal reports from the Supreme Court about the ongoing hearing and its impact on West Bengal’s electoral process.