No one happier than me: Didi after SC clears tribunal-restored voters
Times of India | 17 April 2026
Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said "no one happier" than her after the Supreme Court allowed those, whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but restored by appellate tribunals, to vote in the Bengal polls.
"Congratulations to everyone. I received the good news just after boarding the helicopter from Dinhata. I was saying from the beginning to remain patient. I am very happy and proud of the judiciary," Banerjee said after landing in Cooch Behar, reminding that she had approached the apex court and fought the case herself that eventually brought this verdict.
"Everyone should apply at tribunals and you will get your rights reinstated. The Supreme Court has said that a supplementary list for first phase will be published on April 21. I will ask my workers to make voter forms on basis of this list within nightfall so that people can vote. On April 27, another supplementary list will be out for the second phase on April 29. There's no one happier than me today," she added.
Claiming that the proposed delimitation bill was an attempt to "divide the country", Banerjee said: "I, too, have fought for 33% reservation for women in Parliament. Why did you attach delimitation with women's bill? The reason is simple: you want to divide Bengal. The delimitation bill is separate. Women's reservation is completely different. This is a trap to delete more names and implement NRC. Don't fall for it."
At her rallies in Mathabhanga, Alipurduar and Dinhata, the CM continued her attack on SIR, equating it with attempts to "disenfranchise" people through delimitation and NRC. She also panned Union home minister Amit Shah for threatening to "remove" those not on the voters' list. "If we stay in office, I will not allow them to do any such thing ," she said.
Banerjee said that opposition leaders across the country were in touch with her as they realised she was being targeted. "Be it Uddhav Thackeray or MK Stalin or Akhilesh or Tejashwi, everyone wants to talk to me. They understand that BJP is targeting Bengal," she claimed.
Nearly 60 lakh names were deleted in the name of logical discrepancy, the CM said. "I fought against this on the streets and in the SC and 32 lakh names have been retained. Sooner or later, every legitimate voter will feature in the electoral list," she added.