Election Commission Releases Second Supplementary Voters' List for West Bengal
In a late-night development, the Election Commission of India published West Bengal's second supplementary voters' list around 11 PM on Friday. This list comprises approximately 12 lakh names, divided into two sections: one for restored voters and another for those who have been deleted from the electoral rolls.
Access and Appeal Process for Disenfranchised Voters
The list is accessible through multiple channels, including the official Election Commission website, the Chief Electoral Officer's website, and the ECINET mobile application. Additionally, physical copies will be displayed at polling stations and made available with District Election Officers, District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Officers, and Block Development Officers.
Voters who find themselves disenfranchised have a 15-day window to file appeals, either online or offline, before appellate tribunals. This process is critical as the deadline for locking the voters' lists for the first phase of assembly elections is April 7, with voting scheduled for April 23 across 152 constituencies.
Judicial Review and Political Concerns
As of Friday, judicial officials have disposed of around 37 lakh out of 60 lakh cases under adjudication. The first supplementary list, published earlier, contained 10 lakh names. An Election Commission official commented on the second list, stating, "We have received 12 lakh names with e-signature and published them. We may publish supplementary lists daily from tomorrow if Calcutta High Court approves."
Sources indicate that the rejection rate following judicial review has been between 35% and 40%. The Trinamool Congress party has raised concerns, filing an appeal before Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, urging for daily publication of supplementary lists. The party highlighted that the first list only included 749,863 names, despite judicial officers having disposed of 27 lakh cases by that time, leaving the status of approximately 20 lakh names unclear.
Trinamool also pointed out the uncertain fate of 11 of its candidates whose cases are still under adjudication. The party criticized the narrow timeline for appeals, arguing that it renders the right to appeal ineffective, as corrections cannot be made once the lists are locked.
High Court Involvement and Tribunal Setup
On Friday evening, Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul chaired a meeting with key officials, including the chief secretary, home secretary, Director General of Police, Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, and special roll observer Subrata Gupta, to discuss the publication of the second supplementary list.
Regarding the formation of appellate tribunals, the Chief Electoral Officer mentioned that the high court is currently assessing locations for their setup. Officials visited the Judicial Academy in New Town on Friday, and a report has been submitted for review.
In a related development, the high court has forwarded a complaint to the West Bengal government from a Cooch Behar district judge, who alleged threats from a local political functionary.
This ongoing process underscores the intense preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, with the Election Commission working to ensure a fair and inclusive electoral roll amidst judicial and political scrutiny.
