As West Bengal entered Phase 1 of its Assembly elections, voter roll revisions have come under sharp focus. Supreme Court-mandated tribunals have restored voting rights to just 139 individuals; only 0.005 per cent of over 27 lakh names removed during judicial adjudication under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The revision exercise has significantly reduced the state's electorate, bringing it down from 7.6 crore to 6.8 crore.
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Limited relief after tribunal review
Out of nearly 34 lakh appeals filed, tribunals have disposed of only 147 cases so far. Election officials confirmed that all 139 individuals cleared through the process are eligible to vote in Thursday's polling, as reported by The Times of India.
"All 139 can vote Thursday. Efforts are underway to ensure this," chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal said.
Those whose names were reinstated have been informed about their polling booths and relevant election officials.
Cases of deletion and rejection
Even as some found relief, eight names that were earlier added by judicial officers have now been removed from supplementary rolls. These individuals cannot apply for re-enrolment through Form 6 and must approach either the Calcutta High Court or the Supreme Court of India for further recourse.
Additionally, 510 appeals have been rejected due to incorrect applications. These applicants will have to restart the process through fresh enrolment.
A notable voter among the cleared
Among those allowed to vote is 88-year-old Suprabuddha Sen, the maternal grandson of Nandalal Bose, who illustrated the original Constitution manuscript. However, Sen is unlikely to vote due to ill health and having missed the home voting window.
His wife, Deepa Sen, 82, and caretaker Chakradhar Nayek, both cleared, are expected to cast their votes at the Visva Bharati Staff Club in Santiniketan.
Legal challenge reaches courts
The revision process has also triggered fresh legal scrutiny. A PIL filed in the Calcutta High Court sought intervention in the functioning of 19 tribunals and demanded disclosure of their standard operating procedures.
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A bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul declined to hear the plea, directing petitioners to approach the Supreme Court of India, noting that the tribunals were constituted under its orders.
Scale of exclusions highlighted
Data released ahead of polling underscored the extent of deletions. In Murshidabad's Samsherganj, a high-minority constituency, tens of thousands of names were struck off across SIR stages. Only one appellant, Dhuliyan municipality chairman Mohammad Injamul Islam, had voting rights restored.
