The Election Commission (EC) informed the Supreme Court on Friday that more than 37 lakh appeals challenging the deletion or inclusion of names in West Bengal’s electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise are still awaiting resolution. The figure emerges from a response affidavit filed by the poll panel, which highlighted the scale of the backlog and the limited progress made by tribunals appointed by the court.
Scale of pending appeals
According to the affidavit, a total of 38,20,683 appeals have been lodged against orders issued during the SIR of West Bengal electoral rolls. Of these, only 1,02,231 appeals have been disposed of by the tribunals, leaving 37,18,452 appeals pending. The EC’s submission did not break down the pending appeals between those filed by electors whose names were deleted and those contesting the inclusion of names.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymala Bagchi and V Mohana had earlier sought the EC’s response to a petition demanding assembly‑constituency‑wise data on claims and objections filed by voters whose names were removed during the SIR. The court’s request aimed to bring transparency to the massive number of disputes generated by the roll‑revision process.
Background of the SIR exercise
Prasenjit Bose, who filed the affidavit on behalf of the EC, asserted that more than 58 lakh electors were excluded during the enumeration phase of the SIR in West Bengal. During the subsequent claims and objections phase, the EC received 9.64 lakh applications for inclusion (Forms 6 and 6A) and over 99,000 applications for deletion (Form 7). Despite this volume of requests, only about 1.82 lakh additions were reflected in the final electoral roll that was published on February 28.
Data submitted by the EC also revealed that between December 17, 2025—when the draft electoral roll was released—and August 7, 2026, a total of 34.13 lakh Form 6 applications were filed. Form 6 is the statutory form used by voters to request inclusion of their name in the electoral roll.
Judicial interventions and mechanisms
On August 25, the Supreme Court directed the EC to furnish detailed data on the pendency and disposal of appeals before tribunals that challenge either exclusion or inclusion in the rolls. Observing the need for timely adjudication, the bench asked the poll panel to explain the steps being taken to streamline the disposal mechanism and to indicate whether additional tribunals were required.
In response, approximately 700 judicial officers from West Bengal and the neighboring states of Odisha and Jharkhand were deployed to handle around 60 lakh claims and objections. Further, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, acting on the Supreme Court’s direction, established 19 tribunals headed by former high‑court chief justices and judges to decide the pending appeals.
On April 24, the apex court also instructed appellate tribunals to conduct out‑of‑turn hearings for cases that demanded urgent attention, particularly those involving deletion of names from the rolls after the SIR exercise.
The combination of massive appeal numbers, limited disposal rates, and the deployment of a large contingent of judicial officers underscores the complexity of the West Bengal roll‑revision process. While the EC has taken steps to set up tribunals and allocate judicial resources, the Supreme Court’s continued scrutiny reflects concerns about the timeliness and effectiveness of the appeals mechanism.
Stakeholders and observers have been invited to share their views on whether the Election Commission is managing the appeals process adequately. The ongoing dialogue highlights the broader implications for electoral integrity in a state where the SIR exercise has affected millions of voters.
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