'Not Enough Time Left': Deleted Voters in West Bengal Are Now Facing Dead End

Days after the final SIR list, appellate tribunals are still in teething stage, leaving deleted voters in limbo.

On 20 March, the ECI announced the formation of the Appllate Tribunals—composed of 19 former judges—to address complaints from deleted voters. They are yet to take off.

(Photo: Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

With just days left for the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections, 33-year-old Zakir Hossain appears visibly agitated.

A voter from Rajganj Assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, he is left toiling outside the offices of his local block development officer (BDO), election officials, and even his local political workers. Amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Hossain's name has been deleted from the voter list due to a discrepancy in the spelling of his father's name.

Hossain is aware that the Supreme Court has set up Appellate Tribunals in Kolkata to hear cases like his, but he fears there "isn't enough time left".

"Local officials told me I'd be able to appeal my case in tribunals, but they are yet to be set up. In the meantime, the court has already frozen the final voter list for the seats voting in the first phase, which includes Rajganj," he tells The Quint.

Delay in Tribunals at the Cost of Disenfranchisement?

On 20 March, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the formation of the Appellate Tribunals—composed of 19 former judges—to address complaints from deleted voters. Following a Supreme Court directive, these single-member tribunals will handle appeals regarding the exclusion or inclusion of voters.

As per sources, the tribunals are to be set up at the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation in Kolkata's Joka—and is expected to start work this week. On 12 April, a team of judges and other officials reportedly visited the site to ensure proper arrangements for the working of the tribunals have been made.

The tribunals are to be set up at the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation in Kolkata's Joka—and is expected to start work this week.

(Photo: Rakhi Bose/The Quint)

This, as voters and activists alike have been questioning the delay in their commencement. "Voters were supposed to apply within 15 days to the tribunal. Had the work started on time, this could have been done in time for elections. But where are the tribunals? Not a single tribunal has been properly set up yet," alleges Ranjit Sur, General Secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR).

"Where will they apply now? ECINET appeals have been getting no response. How will poor people from remote villages reach the tribunals [set up in Kolkata]? How can such a large number of deletions be adjudicated in such a short time? This is nothing but a conspiracy.”

On 1 April, the ECI had informed the Supreme Court that training would be completed the same day—and tribunal proceedings would commence from 2 April. As part of the preparations, an important meeting also took place on 1 April at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, sources tell The Quint.

But the meeting fell through due to disagreements, leading to further delay. According to media reports, several key questions were raised by the former judges during the meeting, but the election body failed to provide satisfactory answers. This led to visible dissatisfaction among some tribunal members, and the meeting was ultimately adjourned.

Sources also claim that a few retired judges, upset with the situation, had expressed their willingness to step down from their roles in the tribunals.

During the meeting, former judges sought to know the SOP for the process, whether the necessary infrastructure was in place, and what measures would be taken if a voter alleged that their documents were rejected by the BLO.

They also reportedly stressed the need to ensure that every voter is given an opportunity to present their case. However, most of these questions, it is alleged, did not receive clear answers.

Even weeks after the 20 March notification, lawyers who are working to represent masses of deleted voters themselves remain completely in the dark. Advocate Reshma Khatun of the Calcutta High Court, working as a volunteer for "SIR victims", tells The Quint:

“It is unclear how so many people’s applications can be processed within 15 days. Many individuals have not even been informed why their names were deleted, so on what basis will justice be delivered?"

The lawyer adds that as of now, "there are no guidelines on what procedure will be followed, or how we are supposed to participate in this process. Nothing is being done in accordance with the law.”

Voters who have been deleted could approach the tribunals to prove their eligibility, but, with the Supreme Court freezing the voter rolls for the first phase, those voters are likely to sit this election out.

On 13 April, Monday, the Supreme Court put the matter to rest when it ruled that individuals in West Bengal whose appeals against exclusion from the electoral rolls are still pending will not be permitted to vote in the 2026 Assembly elections.

The court said the decision will help ease the burden on tribunals, however it affects over 34 lakh people who have challenged their omission from the voter list through the SIR.

Caught in the 'Process'

Hossain from Rajganj Assembly constituency has a seven-year-old child. His concern over deletion goes beyond himself. "I cannot sleep out of worry," he laments, explaining that he fears that his name being deleted could jeopardise his son’s future.

Meanwhile, in Sudpur Gram Panchayat of the Katwa Assembly constituency, the names of six Hindus have been deleted. One of them, daily-wage labourer Sitaram Das, tells The Quint, “I found my grandfather’s name in the 1956 voter list, but my name has been deleted.”

Sitaram lost his father at a very young age, and his voter ID carried his mother’s name. While his mother’s name has been restored in the voter list, his own name has been excluded.

Daily-wage labourer Sitaram Das alleges that the mistake is on the part of the ECI—"a technical fault"—for which he is being "harassed".

(Photo Courtesy: Sitaram Das)

Sitaram tells The Quint:

“My mother, Chitra Das, had her name in the 2002 hard copy. However, in the BLO app, her name showed as ‘no record found’. She was then called for a hearing, where she produced her Scheduled Caste certificate, and her name was restored. But since I do not have any independent documents of my own, my name was deleted."

Sitaram alleges that the mistake is on the part of the ECI—"a technical fault"—for which he is being "harassed".

"Had my mother’s name not shown as ‘no record found’ in the BLO app, I'd have not faced this harassment today,” Sitaram alleges.

Ironically, it isn't just the common man facing the brunt of the SIR process. Mir Rakesh Roushan is the BLO from Mahalandi-1 Gram Panchayat in the Kandi Assembly constituency. Mir was surprised to find his own name on the "deleted" list.

Ironically, it isn't just the common man facing the brunt of the SIR process. Mir Rakesh Roushan, the BLO from Mahalandi-1 Gram Panchayat in the Kandi Assembly constituency, was surprised to find his own name on the "deleted" list.

(Photo Courtesy: Mir Rakesh Roushan)

Mir's great-grandfather used to lead prayers for inmates at Berhampore Jail in Murshidabad during the British era.

"We have land documents from 1925 belonging to my grandfather. I don’t know why members of our family have been excluded. No reason has been provided.”

Mir Rakesh Roushan

Another BLO from Basirhat North Assembly constituency, whose name is "under adjudication" in the supplementary list, alleges that the order sheet doesn't clearly state the reason for deletion. When questioned about the lack of clarity, the Election Officer in Charge (EOC) purportedly stated there was no need to provide any explanation.

"The definition of 'absent' is ambiguous, and there is no clear definition of 'ordinary resident'," the BLO, who wished to remain anonymous, says.

Even people who were not in an area for six months were marked 'absent' based on verbal instructions from the ECI, with no written order.

Despite Form 6 and Tribunals, No Respite for Deleted Voters

There are no clear, written instructions on what happens to the 91 lakh or so deleted voters of West Bengal, including the 27 lakh whose names were deleted after being adjudicated by officials.

Verbally, many of the deleted voters from the initial lists were told to apply as a "new voter" through Form 6 or appeal to the District Magistrate.

Though the EOC has not made any official announcement, instructions were shared in BLO WhatsApp groups. Awaiting the tribunal work, distressed deleted voters continue to fill Form 6, or file their appeals on ECINET, hoping to get their names back on the voter list.

At the local level, various political parties have also been endorsing the Form 6 route.

But the question remains—if the same documents led to deletion during the hearing, will the same documents help inclusion through Form 6?

After his name was deleted, Sanjay Basu (name changed) from Jalpaiguri was advised by his BLO to submit an application to the local District Election Office. Basu filed the application after a mad rush to procure the requisite documents. The application has been accepted—and documents submitted. "But I'm confused about when the list of applicants will be released, and how will I know whether I've been accepted," Basu tells The Quint.

As Assistant Electoral Registration Officer Sanchita Ali explains, Form 6 applications of deleted voters are still pending—and it is unclear what will happen to them. Among Form 6 applicants, some have been approved while others were rejected.

Sitaram, too, has filled out Form 6, and filed an appeal at the BDO office, but his name has still not been restored. The daily-wage workers adds he's not aware of the tribunal process.

Deepak Roy, a BLO from a refugee-and-Dalit-dominated booth in Krishnanagar South Assembly constituency, says out of 30 new Form 6 applications in his area, only four had been accepted as of 23 March.

While typically 3-6 lakh new voters are added through Form 6 each cycle, this year the number was only 1.82 lakh as of the last week of March. Thus, on one hand, a large number of registered voters are being deleted, and on the other, new voters are not being added at the same scale—effectively amounting to another form of deletion.

Meanwhile, hopes for the tribunals restoring deleted votes remain marred by the reality.

Whether 19 judges can resolve the issue of such a massive number of deleted voters by 23 April, or even 29 April, remains a dubious question.