Election Commission Faces Deadline Pressure as Voter Names Remain Unpublished
With just 72 hours remaining until the Supreme Court's initial deadline, the Election Commission has yet to release the names of any individuals whose voting rights have been reinstated by Special Intensive Revision tribunals. This delay impacts the ability of these voters to participate in the first phase of the West Bengal elections scheduled for April 23.
Massive Exclusion and Judicial Process
More than 27 lakh people were excluded from the voters' list following judicial adjudication, which marked the final stage of the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll initiated in November. The fate of these potential electors now hinges on the decisions of 19 appellate tribunals established under the Supreme Court's order.
The Supreme Court has ruled that deleted voters from constituencies involved in the first phase of polling can exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections if their appeals are cleared by April 21. For the second phase, set for April 29, the deadline is April 27.
Tribunal Operations and Challenges
According to an Election Commission source, the tribunals commenced their work on April 13 and had disposed of nearly 200 cases by Thursday. However, Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal stated that he had no information regarding the number of cases disposed of or approved as of that date.
"Tribunal functioning is independent of the Election Commission and the CEO's office. Until the dashboard is ready, I cannot say how many cases have been disposed of. The Election Commission is trying its best to launch the dashboard as soon as possible," Agarwal explained.
All 19 tribunals, each led by a retired judge, are operating from the SP Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation in Joka. The retired judges typically begin their sessions at 10 am and work until 5-6 pm daily.
A retired Calcutta High Court judge who heads one of the tribunals noted, "Cases are being disposed of regularly. While some logistical and infrastructural hitches remain, work is going on." When inquired about accessing the tribunals' orders, he advised, "Keep an eye on the Election Commission website."
Logistics and Voter Notification
CEO Agarwal assured that the tribunals' office is equipped with the necessary logistics and staff. "How many cases the tribunal judges can dispose of depends on the complexity of the cases, how many they can take up in a day, and other factors," he added.
Regarding how appellants will be informed about the status of their names, Agarwal mentioned, "Voters will be informed of the decision through their Booth Level Officers. There are other means as well."
Software Development for Integration
The CEO also highlighted that the commission plans to develop software to link the cases disposed of by the tribunals with the Election Commission's electoral list. "As names are approved by the tribunals, they will be added to the list. It is not a complicated task for the Election Commission. The commission developed software to bridge the portal for judicial officers, who were involved in the adjudication of more than 60 lakh cases, with the electoral list in 2-3 days," he stated.
This situation underscores the critical race against time as the Election Commission works to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the democratic process, with the Supreme Court's deadlines looming large over the upcoming phases of the Bengal polls.
