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67% of Disputed Bengal Voters Cleared; 45% Face Exclusion

Judicial adjudication for 67% of the 60 lakh voters flagged for discrepancies in West Bengal has been completed. Of these processed cases, approximately 45%, or 18 lakh voters, have been classified as eligible for exclusion from the electoral rolls. The final voters' list published in February already excluded over 63 lakh names, with supplementary lists to follow the adjudication's conclusion. With over 700 judicial officers working, the process is expected to finish this week ahead of the two-phase assembly elections on April 23 and 29.

Key Points: Bengal Voter List: 67% Judicial Adjudication Complete

  • 40 lakh cases adjudicated
  • 18 lakh eligible for exclusion
  • 700+ judicial officers working
  • Two-phase polls on Apr 23 & 29
2 min read

Bengal polls: Judicial adjudication for 67 pc of voters completed

40 lakh voter cases adjudicated in Bengal; 45% found eligible for exclusion from rolls ahead of April assembly elections.

"nearly 45 per cent of total cases... have been found to be eligible for exclusion - IANS report"

Kolkata, Mar 29

The judicial adjudication process for 40 lakh voters, which is around 67 per cent of a total of more than 60 lakh voters, referred for adjudication after being categorised under the "logical discrepancy category" had been completed till Sunday evening, an insider from the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer told.

Of the 40 lakh cases, whose judicial adjudication process had been completed till Sunday evening, a total of around 18 lakh cases have been classified as eligible for exclusion.

This means that nearly 45 per cent of total cases for which the judicial adjudication process had been completed have been found to be eligible for exclusion.

However, those who had been found eligible for exclusion in the course of the judicial adjudication process will have the option to approach any of the 19 Appellate Tribunals constituted for the purpose.

The final voters' list in West Bengal -- excluding the 60 lakh cases referred for judicial adjudication -- was published on February 28.

It was decided that supplementary lists would be released in line with the progress of the adjudication process.

Before the notification of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was issued for West Bengal in November last year, the total number of voters in the state stood at 7,66,37,529.

In the draft voters' list published in December last year, a total of 58,20,899 names were deleted.

In the final voters' list published on February 28, the deletion figure rose to 63,66,952.

Now, it is to be seen what the final deletion figure will be at the end of the judicial adjudication.

An insider from the CEO's office said that, going by the current pace of judicial adjudication, it can be said that the process will be completed easily within this week.

At present, more than 700 judicial officers, including 100 each from neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand, are involved in the adjudication process, and they are working day and night to complete the process at the earliest.

The two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal will be conducted on April 23 and April 29.

In the first phase, there will be polling for 152 Assembly constituencies, and in the second phase for the remaining 142 Assembly constituencies.

The results of the two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal will be declared on May 4.

--IANS src/khz

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Nearly 45% found eligible for exclusion? That's a huge number. It shows how flawed the previous lists were. Respect to the judicial officers working day and night to get this done before the polls.
A
Aman W
While cleaning the list is important, I hope genuine voters aren't getting caught in this net. The option to approach Appellate Tribunals is a good safeguard. My cousin had to do that last month.
S
Sarah B
As an observer, this seems like a very transparent and thorough process. Involving officers from Odisha and Jharkhand adds an impartial layer. Other states could learn from this model for electoral integrity.
V
Vikram M
The scale is mind-boggling. Over 60 lakh voters referred for adjudication! This election is going to be very closely watched. The final deletion figure will be the real story. Hope the process finishes smoothly.
K
Karthik V
A respectful criticism: The article relies heavily on an "insider". While the data is important, more on-the-record statements from the CEO's office would increase public trust in these sensitive numbers.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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