Supreme Court Assumes Control Over Bengal's Voter Roll Revision Process
In a significant development, the Election Commission of India has reportedly lost its authority over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, with the Supreme Court now dictating the terms. This assertion was made by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday, shortly after the apex court issued a pivotal order.
TMC Hails Judicial Intervention as a Victory for Voters
Describing the Supreme Court's directive as a resounding triumph for Bengal's Maa-Mati-Manush (Mother, Soil, and People), the TMC took to social media platform X to declare, "The EC's arrogant stranglehold on Bengal's SIR process has been decisively snapped." The party emphasized that this move safeguards democratic rights.
TMC Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra provided detailed insights, stating, "The Supreme Court has effectively taken over the SIR process from the Election Commission and entrusted it to the judiciary. The Calcutta High Court is now essentially monitoring the entire procedure." She criticized the EC, labeling it as disgraced and discredited, and accused it of attempting to disenfranchise voters, a claim she said was dealt a severe blow by the court's intervention.
Allegations of Voter Harassment and Judicial Relief
Moitra further elaborated on the hardships faced by voters, explaining that individuals mapped to the 2002 SIR were forced to endure long queues during hearings. This occurred because some micro-observers, whom she described as illegal appointees, raised objections to their names on the rolls. "These 50-60 lakh odd voters were harassed for no fault of theirs," she asserted. "The Supreme Court has given them a chance. We will ensure that all genuine voters are reinstated in the voter rolls, either on the February 28 list or the supplementary list."
Echoing these sentiments, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose launched a similar critique against the Election Commission. She remarked, "The Supreme Court ensured that the entire SIR process was removed from the discretion and supervision of the Election Commission of India." Ghose highlighted that judicial officers will now oversee the adjudication of approximately 50 lakh names that remain undecided.
Expanded Proof of Identity and Further Criticisms
In a notable ruling, the court affirmed that documents such as Aadhaar cards and Madhyamik examination admit cards must be accepted as valid proof of identity. Ghose characterized this as "yet another slap on the EC's face," adding that the commission is extremely compromised in its functions.
The TMC also credited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her relentless efforts, noting that she "demanded and fought tooth and nail" to protect people's voting rights. The party stated that the Supreme Court has now taken the reins, stripping the ECI of its unchecked discretion.
In a scathing rebuke, the TMC commented, "The Election Commission is so discredited and incompetent that the Supreme Court is forced to import judges from other states." They underscored that the court upheld all documents listed in the EC's October 24 notification, along with those subsequently approved by the SC, including Aadhaar and Madhyamik admits, as acceptable proof. "No more arbitrary rejection games. No more selective humiliation of Bengal's voters. The ECI's desperate bid to rig the rolls by changing documentary standards mid-game was crushed under judicial boots," the statement concluded.
