Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Only 7 lakh of 27 lakh deleted Bengal voters appeal
In West Bengal, a big check was done on the list of people who can vote.
Many names were flagged because the details did not seem to match.
People were asked to come and show documents to prove they should stay on the list.
Out of 60 lakh people who were checked, close to 33 lakh were allowed to stay.
The other 27 lakh people were removed from the voting list.
Those people could ask a special court called a tribunal to put their names back.
The government says only about 7 lakh of them appealed, which is about one in four.
That means about 20 lakh people did not appeal, and officials say they do not know why.
Some helpers say they think more people applied and the government's number may be wrong.
The government says people who did not appeal will not get benefits from its schemes, and census workers will visit homes to check on voters.
Only about 7 lakh of the 27 lakh voters deleted from Bengal's electoral rolls during adjudication have appealed before the tribunals, a senior state government official said.
The figure, about 26 percent of those deleted, contradicts earlier reports of 32-34 lakh total appeals; officials said actual appeals exceeded 30 lakh, including more than 20 lakh filed by the Election Commission.
The Election Commission flagged 1.5 crore people for 'logical discrepancies,' 60 lakh failed to satisfy it with documents, and 705 judicial officers cleared close to 33 lakh while rejecting the rest.
Deleted voters had only a 15-day deadline to appeal, though sources said late appeals might be allowed on humanitarian grounds.
Social workers who helped file appeals doubted the 7 lakh figure, saying offline applications may not have been fully digitised, while officials said non-appellants would not receive government scheme benefits.
- Who
- West Bengal government officials, the Election Commission, 705 judicial officers, and the roughly 7 lakh deleted voters who appealed to the tribunals.
- What
- Only about 7 lakh of the 27 lakh Bengal voters deleted from electoral rolls have appealed to the appellate tribunals.
- When
- Following the adjudication of 60 lakh cases and after district reports were compiled; the chief minister had spoken on the matter on August 1.
- Where
- West Bengal, India
- Why
- Voters excluded for 'logical discrepancies' had a 15-day deadline to appeal for inclusion before the tribunals.
Government officials
Social workers
Number of appeals from deleted voters
Government officials
Only about 7 lakh of the 27 lakh deleted voters appealed, based on compiled reports from districts.
Social workers
Doubt that the 7 lakh figure is properly verified; lakhs applied online and offline and some offline applications may not have been digitised and sent to the tribunals.
- Voters deleted from electoral rolls
- 27 lakh
- Deleted voters who appealed
- About 7 lakh (26%)
- Deleted voters who did not appeal
- About 20 lakh
- People flagged for 'logical discrepancies'
- 1.5 crore
- People who failed to satisfy the Election Commission
- 60 lakh
- Voters cleared for inclusion by adjudicators
- Close to 33 lakh
- Appellate tribunals set up by Calcutta High Court
- 19
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days from deletion