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The Supreme Court extended the deadline for objections in West Bengal’s electoral roll revision by one week beyond February 14, stressing that every genuine voter must be included and warning against software-driven exclusions, while directing officials’ deployment and procedural safeguards.
Hearing on Batch of Petitions
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on February 9 began hearing a batch of petitions challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N.V. Anjaria, heard arguments from the West Bengal government, the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Centre, NGOs, and individual petitioners including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Mamata Banerjee, argued that the SIR exercise was leading to mass exclusion of voters due to rigid software-based filters.
He told the court that nearly 70 lakh people had received notices under the “logical discrepancies” category, many for minor name mismatches.
Divan argued that even production of documents such as Aadhaar or admit cards was sometimes being ignored, creating a serious threat to voter inclusion.
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered an extension of the deadline for filing objections in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal by one week beyond February 14, responding to concerns over mass exclusions and procedural lapses.
The order came during a hearing on petitions, including one filed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, challenging the manner in which the SIR exercise was being conducted.
This extension is significant because February 14 was the original cut-off date for completing the revision and publishing the final electoral roll. By pushing the deadline, the court effectively paused any rushed finalisation and ensured voters get additional time to raise objections and submit documents.
The court issued several important directions:
West Bengal’s 8,505 officials must report to district electoral offices by the next day.
The EC may deploy suitable officials as EROs or AEROs, while others may assist in observer-like roles.
Micro-observers cannot take final decisions on voter inclusion or exclusion.
The time for filing claims and objections was extended by one week beyond February 14.
A wide range of documents must be considered during verification to avoid wrongful deletions.
Reassuring the petitioners, the Chief Justice categorically stated that the Election Commission cannot evade its constitutional duty to ensure that every genuine citizen remains on the electoral roll. The court emphasised that final electoral rolls should reflect inclusivity, fairness, and transparency.
