The Election Commission of India (ECI) is poised to publish the first supplementary voter list under the SIR process in West Bengal, a critical step that affects millions of voters. This development comes as 27 lakh pending voter records have been settled, with approximately 2 lakh names processed daily, showcasing the urgency and scale of the task at hand.
Voters in West Bengal will have the opportunity to appeal online via the ECI Net app or offline at district or sub-divisional offices if they have objections to the list. To facilitate this process, 19 appeal tribunals have been established across 23 districts for voters whose names are excluded from the supplementary list.
In Surat, the voter list for the upcoming municipal elections has been made public at 40 locations, with the complete voters’ list for all 30 wards displayed at the Surat Municipal Corporation headquarters. Voters are advised to submit applications for any corrections or changes at the election and census department at the SMC head office if they identify errors.
The first supplementary voter list was uploaded on the websites of the ECI and West Bengal CEO at around 11:55 PM, marking a significant milestone in the electoral process. As of late afternoon, 29 lakh adjudications have been completed out of the 60 lakh cases placed under judicial review, indicating a high level of activity and scrutiny in the voter registration process.
According to the final electoral roll published on February 28, the total number of voters in West Bengal stands at 7,04,59,284. This figure is a decrease from the earlier draft roll, which included 7,08,16,630 names, with 58,20,899 names deleted during the enumeration phase.
In a related move, the Election Commission has removed 73 Returning Officers (ROs), most of whom are Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs), as part of efforts to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.
The SIR exercise in Bengal was initially announced on October 27 last year, when the electorate was recorded at 7,66,37,529. This ongoing process reflects the ECI’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral system.
As the situation develops, further updates are expected, particularly regarding the finalization of the supplementary voter list and the outcomes of the appeals made by voters. Details remain unconfirmed.
