Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Supreme Court Considers Prioritising Bengal Voter Appeals Before Civic Polls
Some people in Bengal were left off the voter list after a review.
They want their appeals heard before city elections in Kolkata and Howrah, which are expected in November.
Their lawyers asked the Supreme Court to tell the tribunals to hear these cases quickly.
The court said it would try to hear the issue on October 16.
The Chief Justice said cases asking to add voters could be heard before cases asking to remove voters.
The judges also noted that the tribunals have problems, including software difficulties.
The Election Commission had reported that only 102,231 of more than 3.8 million appeals had been decided by September 18.
The court has not yet ruled on whether excluded voters can vote in the civic polls.
The Supreme Court said it would try to list the Bengal SIR case on October 16, ahead of Kolkata and Howrah civic polls expected in the second half of November.
Petitioners asked the court to direct 19 appellate tribunals to prioritise appeals by voters excluded from the electoral rolls.
The Chief Justice said deletion appeals could be deferred while appeals seeking inclusion could be heard first in areas with elections.
An application citing Election Commission affidavits says about 170,000 appeals are pending in Kolkata and Howrah; the election process is expected to finish by December 7.
The court acknowledged difficulties facing the tribunals, including software problems; the Election Commission said 102,231 of 3,820,683 appeals had been disposed of as of September 18.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, petitioners representing voters excluded during Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision, and 19 appellate tribunals.
- What
- The court is considering a plea to prioritise excluded voters’ appeals before Kolkata and Howrah civic elections.
- When
- The court said it would try to list the matter on October 16; the civic polls are expected in the second half of November.
- Where
- West Bengal, particularly Kolkata and Howrah.
- Why
- Petitioners say excluded voters need decisions on their appeals in time to participate in the upcoming civic elections.
Petitioners’ request
Court’s considerations
Timing of appeals
Petitioners’ request
Petitioners urged the court to direct expeditious decisions so voters excluded in the SIR can participate in the civic polls.
Court’s considerations
The court said it would try to list the matter on October 16 and discussed prioritising inclusion appeals, while acknowledging tribunal and software difficulties.
Order of cases
Petitioners’ request
Petitioners sought priority for appeals by excluded voters before the upcoming elections.
Court’s considerations
The Chief Justice said deletion appeals could be pushed back and taken up later than appeals seeking inclusion.
- Proposed hearing date
- October 16; the court said it would find out if the matter could be listed then
- Civic polls
- Kolkata and Howrah elections expected in the second half of November
- Electoral process deadline
- December 7
- Tribunals
- 19 appellate tribunals
- Pending appeals in Kolkata and Howrah
- About 170,000, according to an application citing Election Commission affidavits
- Appeals reported by the Election Commission
- 3,820,683 filed; about 2.2 million against exclusions and about 1.6 million against inclusions
- Appeals disposed of
- 102,231 as reported by the Election Commission on September 18
- Court’s discussed priority
- Hear appeals seeking inclusion before appeals seeking deletion
