SUPREME COURT REOPENS THE VOTING RIGHTS QUESTION AS EXCLUDED BENGAL ELECTORS AWAIT CIVIC POLLS
October 9, 2026
The Supreme Court will consider whether voters excluded from West Bengal’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, but whose appeals against exclusion remain pending, should be permitted to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.
The matter is scheduled to be heard on October 16, as concerns grow that thousands of eligible citizens could be prevented from participating in the civic polls because their appeals have not been decided in time.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, took up the issue on Friday. The court also discussed prioritising appeals seeking the inclusion of voters over petitions seeking the deletion of names from electoral rolls.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan urged the court to prioritise cases involving voters in municipal areas where elections are expected in November. He stressed that appellate tribunals would need sufficient time to resolve the pending cases before the electoral process advances.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan highlighted the predicament of people whose names had been removed but who had challenged the decisions before the tribunals. He questioned whether these voters would be allowed to exercise their franchise if their appeals remained unresolved when the municipal elections took place.
The court indicated that it was examining the issue and would consider whether a solution could be found at the next hearing. It also discussed the possibility of postponing appeals seeking the deletion of voters until later, allowing cases involving the restoration of names to receive priority.
The proceedings come amid continuing controversy over the SIR exercise in Bengal, which resulted in the exclusion of more than 27 lakh voters following adjudication. The appeal process has faced a substantial backlog, raising concerns about whether the tribunals can resolve cases before the next round of elections.
The Election Commission has informed the court that more than one lakh appeals seeking inclusion in electoral rolls have been decided, with approximately 93 per cent of applicants in those cases found eligible for inclusion. However, around 1.70 lakh appeals reportedly remain pending.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming hearing could prove significant for voters seeking restoration of their names before the municipal elections. The central question is whether the legal process can provide timely relief to eligible electors without compromising the integrity of the electoral rolls.
