The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released updated voter lists in West Bengal ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections, marking a key development in the ongoing electoral process.
Two lists published ahead of polling
According to officials, the poll body has issued two separate lists following the appellate process overseen by court-appointed tribunals, Hindustan Times reported.
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"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," an ECI official was quoted as saying by HT.
The move comes just a day before polling begins, ensuring clarity over voter eligibility.
Supreme Court directive shapes process
The update follows a recent directive by the Supreme Court, which ordered that voters cleared by appellate tribunals be added to the electoral roll at least two days before polling.
The decision eased earlier restrictions on voter lists, especially as many names were under scrutiny during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The revision process had led to a large number of voters being marked "under adjudication".
Large-scale deletions and appeals
As part of the SIR process, judicial officers had earlier deleted over 2.7 million voters after adjudication. To address appeals, the ECI set up 19 appellate tribunals on March 10, appointing retired judges to review such cases.
These tribunals examined challenges against voter status, leading to the latest inclusion and deletion lists.
Poll schedule and arrangements
The first phase of polling will cover 152 out of 294 Assembly constituencies on Thursday. The remaining 142 seats will go to polls on April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
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Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said stakeholders will receive the updated voter rolls. "Electors, whose cases are cleared by the tribunals, will be informed through their booth-level officers," HT quoted him as saying.
