Election Commission Grants Two-Week Extension for West Bengal Voter Roll Revision
In a significant development, the Election Commission of India announced on Tuesday that it has extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal by two weeks. This decision comes in direct compliance with a recent Supreme Court order, ensuring a more thorough and inclusive voter registration process ahead of upcoming elections.
Revised Timeline for Electoral Preparation
Under the newly revised schedule, the intensive revision of voter lists in the Trinamool Congress-ruled state will now continue until February 21, with the final publication of electoral rolls scheduled for February 28. This represents a notable shift from the original timeline, which had set February 14 as the publication date for the final voters' list.
The Election Commission communicated this decision through an official letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, stating clearly that the revision was undertaken "in compliance of the Hon'ble Supreme Court's direction." According to details shared by the CEO's office, the comprehensive process includes several critical phases:
- Hearings on electoral notices will conclude by February 14
- Document scrutiny and case disposal will be completed by February 21
- Polling station rationalization is set to finish by February 25
- Health parameter verification will conclude by February 27
Supreme Court's Firm Stance on Electoral Integrity
The extension follows a decisive intervention by the Supreme Court, which on Monday made it unequivocally clear that it would under no circumstances allow the stalling of the Special Intensive Revision process across twelve states, including West Bengal. The court, however, demonstrated flexibility by extending the February 7 deadline for document submission by an additional week.
This extension particularly benefits approximately 1.36 crore voters who had been categorized under "logical discrepancy" and had received notices from the Election Commission. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria, emphasized the importance of ensuring that genuine voters are not excluded from the electoral process.
Addressing Concerns and Ensuring Fair Process
The Supreme Court hearing revealed several contentious issues regarding the revision process. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had passionately argued for discontinuing the SIR, expressing concerns that the process might lead to mass exclusion of voters. Her counsel, Shyam Divan, pointed out that about 50% of the "logical discrepancy" cases involved mere spelling errors resulting from translation issues.
The bench, however, dismissed these concerns as "speculative apprehension" and implemented safeguards. The court directed that suitable officials from a list of 8,500 group B cadre officers provided by the state government would assist Electoral Revision Officers in cases where notices were issued solely due to spelling errors, thereby facilitating voter inclusion rather than exclusion.
Political and Administrative Implications
The court proceedings took a dramatic turn when the bench expressed displeasure over the state government's initial failure to provide the names of 8,500 officials to assist with the massive document verification work. Remarkably, within minutes of this criticism, the West Bengal government submitted the required list to the Election Commission in court, promising to verify the suitability of the nominated officers.
In a stern warning that carried significant political weight, the Supreme Court bench stated, "We hope the state remembers the laws of the land," while also seeking a personal affidavit from the West Bengal Director General of Police regarding Election Commission allegations that TMC functionaries were attempting to derail the SIR process.
This extension and the Supreme Court's active supervision represent a crucial phase in West Bengal's electoral preparation, balancing the need for comprehensive voter list revision with protections against potential voter exclusion as the state moves closer to its next election cycle.
