Supreme Court Sets Deadline for Election Commission Response on Voter List Controversy
The Supreme Court of India has taken a firm stance on Monday regarding serious allegations about voter list preparation in West Bengal. The court directed the Election Commission to file its response within one week to a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen.
Massive Deletions from Electoral Roll
Sen's petition raises alarming concerns about the deletion of more than 58 lakh names from West Bengal's draft voters' list. The Rajya Sabha MP claims these deletions occurred during the Special Summary Revision exercise. She alleges the poll panel refused to accept valid and permissible documents from citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll.
"What is this happening?" asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal while appearing for Sen before the court. He highlighted what he called procedural irregularities in the Election Commission's approach.
Concerns About Transparency and Procedure
Sibal specifically criticized the Election Commission for using WhatsApp messages and video conferencing to send instructions to various election officers. "This is impermissible," he argued before the bench. "All such instructions must be in writing to ensure transparency in the process of preparation of voters' list."
The MP went further in her criticism, labeling the Election Commission as the "WhatsApp commission" for relying on the messaging platform instead of issuing formal written orders to election officers.
Court's Immediate Directions
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the arguments carefully. They asked Election Commission counsel Eklavya Dwivedi to respond to Sen's petition by Saturday. The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 19.
Among several requests, Sen has specifically sought an extension of the January 15 deadline for submission of claims and objections to the draft voters' list. She wants more time for affected citizens to present their cases.
Specific Allegations About Deletion Process
The draft electoral roll for Bengal was published on December 16, revealing the deletion of 58,20,898 names. Sen claims these deletions happened without proper notice or personal hearing for affected individuals.
The numbers show a significant decline in registered voters. After the Special Summary Revision of 2025, West Bengal had 7,66,37,529 voters. The draft electoral roll now shows only 7,08,16,616 voters, representing a substantial reduction.
Procedural Violations Alleged
Sen alleges the Election Commission violated its own Standard Operating Procedure for the Special Summary Revision. In several assembly constituencies, deletion decisions regarding voters categorized as absentee, shifted, dead, and duplicate are being processed centrally.
These decisions are then marked en masse as 'Disposed - Form 7' on the Electoral Registration Officer Net Portal. "Alarmingly, this appears to be occurring without physical verification, individual hearing or meaningful involvement of the concerned Electoral Registration Officers," Sen stated in her petition.
Disproportionate Impact on Specific Groups
The MP highlighted how certain voter groups face particular disadvantages in this process. She noted that a majority of affected electors are women voters whose surnames changed after marriage. This change leads to misclassification by the algorithm used by the Election Commission.
Sen claims over 90% of the cases involve name mismatches largely attributable to algorithm failures. She further alleges that minority communities are disproportionately affected by these algorithmic misclassifications.
Documents Being Rejected
The petition specifically requests the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission to accept certain documents as valid for voter inclusion. These include permanent residence certificates, panchayat residence certificates, and family registers. Sen argues these documents should be considered permissible for establishing residency and identity.
Timeline Concerns and Future Implications
With the final electoral roll scheduled for publication on February 14, and the closure of notice and hearing phase on February 7, Sen expressed serious concerns. She apprehends that Bengal assembly elections might be declared immediately after the final roll publication.
The MP has requested the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission to correct its voters' list revision process. She wants the poll panel to make genuine attempts to include all eligible voters rather than excluding them through what she calls arbitrary procedures.
The Supreme Court's intervention comes at a crucial time as West Bengal prepares for potential elections. The court's directions to the Election Commission will likely influence how voter registration processes are conducted not just in Bengal but potentially across India.
