Around 2,676,916 more voters have been removed from the supplementary electoral roll in West Bengal just ahead of the elections, as per the first such data shared by the Election Commission of India on Monday midnight. Now, the total number of voters deleted from the list stands at 9,083,345. Border districts such as Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas are among the areas where a large number of names have been removed from the voter list.
Nadia district, which has a significant Matua population, recorded the highest percentage of voter deletions. Overall, the state’s voter count has dropped to 6.77 crore from 7.66 crore at the beginning of the SIR.
Earlier, nearly 6.3 million names had already been struck off. With the latest exclusions, the total number of deletions from the pre-SIR (Special Intensive Revision) voter list now stands at around 9 million.
When the Election Commission had announced the poll schedule, it had estimated around 64.4 million voters in the state, with nearly 6 million under scrutiny. Of these, about 2.7 million have now been deleted, while roughly 3.2 million voters have been cleared and retained in the rolls.
Supreme Court On Supplementary Electoral Roll
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India on Monday said that around 6 million claims and objections linked to the voter list revision would be decided within the day. The court also made it clear that central forces would remain deployed in West Bengal, citing concerns over safety and recent incidents during the revision process.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, expressed concern over reports of threats and obstruction faced by judicial officers. It warned that if the state machinery fails to ensure security, the court may step in with further measures.
Three-Member Panel Formed
Taking note of delays in setting up appellate tribunals, the bench directed the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to form a three-member panel of former senior judges to lay down uniform procedures for all 19 tribunals. These bodies will hear appeals related to wrongful deletions or inclusions and examine documentary evidence, including records not uploaded online.
During the hearing, the court was informed that by noon on April 6, over 5.9 million cases had already been disposed of, including nearly 800,000 in Malda district despite reported disruptions. The Election Commission said the remaining cases would be resolved the same day, with the supplementary voter list scheduled for release later at night. The court also allowed time until April 7 for completing pending digital signature uploads.
The bench emphasised the need to ensure a fair and efficient process, noting that tribunals must function in an environment free of intimidation. It also observed that while the initial adjudication process is nearing completion, the appellate process could take several weeks as thousands of appeals continue to be filed.
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