Supreme Court Rebuffs TMC's Oral Plea on Alleged Mass Voter Enrolment in Bengal
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday raised fresh objections against what it termed as the alleged mass enrolment of new voters in West Bengal, prompting a sarcastic observation from an exasperated Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, remarked that it might need to create a dedicated special bench to handle the volume of pleas related to the Systematic Identification of Residents (SIR) and election matters.
TMC's Allegations and the Court's Response
TMC MP and senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy informed the bench that the Election Commission, through Form 6 submissions, has enrolled five to six lakh new voters despite the court previously discouraging such exercises. Form 6 is used by individuals upon turning 18 years old to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
The TMC has been persistently questioning the SIR of electoral rolls and the large-scale deletion of voters due to 'logical discrepancy', a ground unique to Bengal for removing names from voter lists. However, the bench firmly stated that it could not entertain an oral request from Guruswamy without supporting documents.
The bench emphasized, "We cannot be entertaining an oral request without any documents before us." It advised that if the client had grievances regarding the alleged enrolment, a fresh plea should be filed, clearly stating the cause of action and grounds for the grievance.
Background and Previous Hearings
Guruswamy acknowledged that she did not have any official documents but cited media reports suggesting the inclusion of five to six lakh new voters in the electoral lists. During an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had noted that it is not unusual for bulk Form 6 applications to be submitted by individuals who attain 18 years of age ahead of elections, as they seek to register to vote.
The Election Commission has maintained that all eligible individuals are permitted to apply for inclusion in the voters' list until the deadline for candidates to file nominations. It clarified that not all newly added voters may be able to cast their votes in the forthcoming elections, depending on the timing of their registration and other procedural factors.
This development highlights ongoing tensions in West Bengal's electoral process, with the TMC raising concerns about voter list integrity while the Supreme Court insists on formal legal procedures for addressing such issues.
