The Election Commission on Monday told the Supreme Court that appeals against the inclusion of voters in West Bengal’s electoral rolls during the special intensive revision were filed by state poll officials, Bar and Bench reported.
The special intensive revision in West Bengal was carried out ahead of the Assembly elections in April. The final rolls published in February initially excluded more than 61 lakh voters, with the process continuing through supplementary lists and adjudication of about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases.
By April 6, ahead of the Assembly elections, about 91 lakh voters, nearly 11.9% of West Bengal’s electorate before the revision process began, had been removed from the electoral rolls.
Appeals were allowed to be filed before tribunals against decisions taken during the exercise.
Of the 38.2 lakh appeals filed, 22.2 lakh were filed by voters whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls. These 22.2 lakh appeals make up around 82% of the 27 lakh voters whose names were deleted and placed under adjudication during the revision ahead of the Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, at least 16.1 lakh appeals challenged the inclusion of voters, the poll panel had submitted in the Supreme Court. The Election Commission had at the time not specified who had filed the appeals.
On September 23, The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu...