NewKerala.com

Mamata Banerjee Elated as SC Allows Deleted Voters to Cast Ballots

The Supreme Court has ruled that West Bengal voters whose names were deleted can vote if Appellate Tribunals clear them up to 48 hours before polling. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed elation, stating she had approached the court on the matter and is proud of the judicial system. She instructed Trinamool Congress workers to ensure these last-minute voters receive their voting slips. The verdict impacts over 27 lakh names identified as excludable during the judicial adjudication process.

Key Points: Mamata Banerjee on SC Verdict for Deleted Voters in Bengal Polls

  • SC allows deleted voters to vote if cleared by tribunals
  • Verdict covers first and second phase of Bengal polls
  • Banerjee claims credit for approaching SC
  • TMC workers instructed to help voters get slips
2 min read

'No one happier than me': Mamata Banerjee on SC's SIR verdict ​

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee celebrates Supreme Court verdict allowing voters with deleted names to vote if cleared by tribunals before polls.

"So today, no one is happier than me. - Mamata Banerjee"

Kolkata, April 16

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared elated over Thursday's verdict by the Supreme Court, which allowed voters in the state whose names were deleted in the judicial adjudication process to vote if their names are cleared by the Appellate Tribunals just 48 hours before the polling days for the two phases of West Bengal assembly polls later this month.​

This means that voters in the first phase of polling on April 23, whose names were deleted, would be able to vote if their names are included following orders of Appellate Tribunals till April 21.​

Similarly, voters in the second phase of polling on April 29, whose names were deleted, would be able to vote if their names are included following orders from Appellate Tribunals till April 27.​

"Congratulations to everyone. I was saying from the beginning that the victory will be ours. I asked voters whose names were deleted to be patient. I am very happy and proud of the country's judicial system. Remember, it was I who approached the Supreme Court in the matter. So today, no one is happier than me," the Chief Minister told media persons at Cooch Behar district, where she addressed three campaign rallies throughout the day.​

At the same time, she instructed Trinamool Congress workers to help those persons whose names were included at the last moment by the Appellate Tribunals to obtain their voting slips so they could cast their votes.​

"The party workers will have to see to it that voter slips are prepared for those whose names will be settled by the Appellate Tribunals. The voters' slips should definitely reach all of them before the elections," the Chief Minister said.​

A little over 60 lakh names identified as "logical discrepancy" cases were referred for judicial adjudication, out of which 27 lakh names were found excludable. Their cases will now be settled at the 19 Appellate Tribunals constituted for that purpose.​

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While it's positive that voters get a chance, the whole process seems chaotic. 27 lakh names found "excludable" is a massive number. It points to serious issues in our voter list management that need fixing, not last-minute tribunals.
P
Priya S
My uncle's name was deleted! Our whole family was worried. This verdict gives us hope. Now the party workers must ensure the slips reach in time. The next 48 hours are crucial for lakhs of families in Bengal.
V
Vikram M
Judiciary upholding democratic rights. This is why we have faith in our institutions. But let's be honest, this shouldn't have happened in the first place. The Election Commission needs to be more careful with such a basic thing as the voter list.
R
Rohit P
Good move by SC. Every vote counts. Hope the tribunals work efficiently and without bias. The focus should be on letting people vote, not on which party benefits. Democracy wins today.
M
Michael C
Interesting to see the political framing. The CM is taking full credit, which is expected, but the real credit goes to the legal system for providing a fair recourse. The logistical challenge of implementing this in time will be immense.

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

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50