Election Commission publishes voter inclusion and deletion lists for West Bengal polls

The Supreme Court directed that cleared voters must be added to electoral rolls at least two days before voting day

ECI releases two voter lists ahead of Bengal’s first phase

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday released two separate voter lists for West Bengal’s first polling phase on Thursday. One list includes voters cleared by Supreme Court-appointed appellate tribunals. The other list names voters removed due to pending or failed clearance.

Two distinct lists address voter roll disputes

“Two lists have been published for the first phase of polls. One comprises the names of voters included in the electoral roll after court-appointed appellate tribunals cleared them. The second one [list] comprises deleted voters,” said an ECI official.

The Supreme Court last week directed that cleared voters must appear on electoral rolls two days before polling. This ruling significantly eased the earlier freeze on voter lists. Many voters had been stuck in the disputed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

152 seats go to polls on Thursday; results on May 4

On Thursday, 152 of West Bengal’s 294 assembly seats will vote in phase one. The remaining 142 constituencies will vote on April 29. Results for all seats will be announced on May 4.

Booth-level officers to notify cleared voters directly

On Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said political parties, candidates, returning officers, and district election officers will receive updated voter list copies. “Electors, whose cases are cleared by the tribunals, will be informed through their booth-level officers,” said Agarwal.

19 appellate tribunals set up on Supreme Court orders

On March 10, the ECI set up 19 appellate tribunals as directed by the Supreme Court. Retired judges were appointed to hear appeals against judicial officers’ decisions in cases where voters were marked “under adjudication” as part of the SIR. Judicial officers deleted over 2.7 million voters after adjudication.

The SIR has remained one of the most talked-about issues in West Bengal’s election campaign. The campaign for phase one officially ended on Tuesday.