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34% of Voters Deemed Ineligible in Bengal's Electoral Roll Cleanup

Judicial adjudication in West Bengal has identified over 34% of processed voters as ineligible for the electoral rolls, amounting to 8 lakh excludable voters from 23.30 lakh cases completed. The process involves 732 judicial officers, including some from neighboring states, working to clear a backlog of 60 lakh cases flagged for discrepancies. The Election Commission will publish supplementary voter lists based on this adjudication, with the first list expected soon. This massive cleanup precedes the state's two-phase assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and April 29.

Key Points: Over 34% Voters Found Excludable in Bengal Electoral Rolls

  • 8 lakh voters declared excludable
  • 23.30 lakh cases adjudicated so far
  • 732 judicial officers involved
  • Supplementary voter lists to be published
  • Bengal polls on April 23 & 29
2 min read

Over 34 per cent voters found 'excludable' after adjudication in Bengal

Judicial adjudication in West Bengal finds over 34% of processed voters ineligible. 8 lakh voters excluded as 732 officers work on roll cleanup before polls.

"Over 34 per cent of the voters whose adjudication process has been completed have been identified by judicial officers as excludable - CEO office source"

Kolkata, March 18

Over 34 per cent of voters in West Bengal, whose judicial adjudication process had been completed till Wednesday night, have been found 'excludable' from the electoral rolls.

An insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that of the 60 lakh voters in the state whose cases were referred for judicial adjudication after being identified under the "logical discrepancy" category, the process had been completed for 23.30 lakh voters so far.

"Out of these 23.30 lakh cases, for which the process of judicial adjudication has been completed, eight lakh voters have been identified as excludable. This means that over 34 per cent of the voters whose adjudication process has been completed have been identified by judicial officers as excludable," the CEO office source said.

The final electoral roll in West Bengal, excluding those 60 lakh cases referred for judicial adjudication, was published on February 28. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, supplementary lists will be published in phases based on the progress of the adjudication process.

The first supplementary list in this regard is expected to be published later this week. At present, a total of 732 judicial officers, including 100 each from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha, are working to complete the adjudication process.

Meanwhile, in a late evening development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification deputing Murli Dhar, a 2005-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre and current Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, as police observer for Tamil Nadu, which is also heading for Assembly polls this year.

The two-phase polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. In the first phase, polling will be held for 152 Assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, for 142 constituencies.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh Q
While cleaning the rolls is important, I hope genuine voters aren't getting excluded in this process. 60 lakh cases is a staggering figure. The EC must ensure transparency so people can check their status easily.
A
Aman W
Logical discrepancy? Sounds like a polite term for duplicate or fake voters. This has been a problem in Bengal for years. Better late than never, but this should be a continuous process, not just before elections.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha being brought in. This should help ensure impartiality in the adjudication process. The cross-pollination of officials is a good practice.
V
Vikram M
The timing is everything. With polls in April, this will definitely have a political impact. All parties now need to ensure their supporters' names are on the supplementary lists. The real test will be on polling day.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, I have to question the process. "Excludable" based on what exact criteria? The article is vague. Voter deletion drives have been controversial. The EC must publish clear, citizen-friendly guidelines to avoid confusion.

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

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