6 hrs ago
Election Commission Reports Pending Appeals in Bengal SIR
West Bengal is checking its list of people allowed to vote.
Many people appealed after names were removed or included during this checking process.
The Election Commission said that more than 38 lakh appeals had been filed.
So far, only about one lakh appeals had been decided.
This means most appeals were still waiting.
A petitioner and the Supreme Court wanted clearer information about what the appeals were asking for.
The Election Commission gave the total number of appeals but did not say how many concerned removals or inclusions.
Special tribunals made up of retired High Court judges are hearing the appeals.
The Election Commission said 38,20,683 appeals were filed over voter-list inclusions and deletions in West Bengal.
Only 1,02,231 appeals had been disposed of, leaving 37,18,452 pending.
The EC affidavit did not separate appeals by deleted voters seeking restoration from challenges to included names.
From December 17, 2025, to August 7, 34.13 lakh Form 6 applications and 6.39 lakh Form 7 applications were filed.
Nineteen appellate tribunals headed by retired High Court judges began functioning on April 13.
- Who
- The Election Commission of India, the Supreme Court of India, West Bengal Congress leader Prasenjit Bose, and appellate tribunals are involved.
- What
- The EC reported the status of appeals concerning voter-name deletions and inclusions during West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision.
- Where
- West Bengal, India.
- When
- The EC filed its counter-affidavit on Thursday; the tribunals began operating on April 13, and the filing covered data through August 7.
- Why
- The appeals followed changes to the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision, and the Supreme Court ordered an appellate mechanism for people challenging eligibility decisions.
Petitioner and Court Concerns
Election Commission Filing
Breakdown of appeals
Petitioner and Court Concerns
Prasenjit Bose sought details on pending appeals and additions and deletions, while the Supreme Court asked for data distinguishing appeals seeking inclusion from those seeking exclusion.
Election Commission Filing
The Election Commission reported the aggregate number of appeals and their disposal status but did not provide the requested breakdown by type.
Prioritizing cases
Petitioner and Court Concerns
The Supreme Court indicated that appeals involving deleted voters could merit priority because exclusion affects an individual’s voting right.
Election Commission Filing
The EC’s filing presented the overall workload and related application data without indicating that one category of appeal would be prioritized.
Key facts
- Total appeals filed
- 38,20,683
- Appeals disposed of
- 1,02,231
- Appeals pending
- 37,18,452
- Form 6 applications
- 34.13 lakh filed; 4.86 lakh unprocessed, 7.26 lakh rejected, and 14,079 accepted
- Form 7 applications
- 6.39 lakh filed; 14,506 rejected and 3,355 accepted
- Appellate tribunals
- 19 tribunals, each comprising a single retired High Court judge
- Final SIR roll gender ratio
- 964 female voters per 1,000 male voters on February 28
Quotes
Justice Joymalya Bagchi
Supreme Court judge who was part of the bench hearing petitions concerning West Bengal’s SIR
“It will require some prioritisation. Nonetheless, it will bring down the burden (on the tribunals) to some extent.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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