The Calcutta High Court has taken up a significant petition concerning the alleged mass deletion of approximately 18,000 lawyers' names from the draft electoral roll for the upcoming West Bengal Bar Council elections. The omissions notably include the names of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state cabinet minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, sparking a major controversy.
Cross-Party Petition Seeks Judicial Intervention
On Friday, legal representatives of advocates affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Indian National Congress jointly approached the court. They brought the issue before a single-judge bench presided over by Justice Krishna Rao. The core demand of the counsels was the publication of a corrected and comprehensive voter roll well before the elections, which are currently scheduled for February 19, 20, and 21, 2026.
A counsel arguing the case highlighted the scale of the problem, stating that a vast number of advocates found their names missing from the preliminary list. The plea explicitly requested the court to direct the authorities to rectify the errors and issue a fresh list that includes all eligible legal practitioners.
Scale of Omissions and Official Response
Shankar Prasad Dalpati, the Secretary of the Calcutta High Court Bar Association, provided a stark assessment. He confirmed that at least 7,000 to 8,000 names of practicing lawyers had been omitted from the draft. Furthermore, he pointed out that no new enrollments had been added to the list, compounding the issue.
For context, sources indicate that around 30,000 lawyers participated in the previous Bar Council election held in 2018. The alleged deletion of 18,000 names thus represents a potentially massive disenfranchisement of the legal community.
In response to the growing outcry, the State Bar Council announced an extension on Saturday. Advocates have now been given time until January 21, 2026, to enroll their names and correct any personal information errors on the voters list.
Election Timeline in Jeopardy, Supreme Court Appeal Likely
This corrective measure, however, has created a new complication regarding the election schedule. Several members of the Bar Council have stated that with the extended deadline for registration and corrections, it will be impossible to complete the entire election process by March 15, 2026, a deadline previously set by the Supreme Court.
Consequently, the Council has decided to file an application in the apex court seeking permission to postpone the election dates. The Calcutta High Court bench has scheduled the next hearing on this matter for January 7, 2026, where further directions are expected.
The situation has thrown the electoral process for the state's apex lawyers' body into uncertainty, with the integrity of the voter list becoming a central issue requiring urgent judicial resolution.
