EC publishes first tribunal list with 657 disposed cases, 139 voters added

MP, 23 April 2026, Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday published updated booth-wise lists of voters cleared by tribunals to participate in the West Bengal Assembly elections, while the Calcutta High Court declined to entertain a PIL seeking clarity on the appellate mechanism for voters excluded during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to an ECI official, ahead of the first phase of polling, a total of 657 cases related to the SIR exercise were disposed of by judicial tribunals. Of these, 139 voters have been newly included in the electoral rolls, while eight names were deleted. The remaining applicants were rejected on the ground that their claims were filed incorrectly. The tribunals have received over 34 lakh appeals.

State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said that the 139 voters whose names have been added to the rolls will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling on Thursday.

A supplementary list was published shortly after midnight on Tuesday, followed by a consolidated electoral roll on Wednesday morning, which has been circulated to Returning Officers for use during polling. They will hand it over to the presiding officers.

The Commission also uploaded two separate lists on its official portal — one comprising voters whose names were restored following tribunal orders, and another listing those who remain excluded.

Voters can check their status by selecting their constituency and booth or by using their EPIC numbers. Voters whose names have been cleared will also be intimated by the booth-level officers (BLOs).

The development follows directions of the Supreme Court of India, which, invoking Article 142 of the Constitution, permitted individuals declared eligible by tribunals up to two days before polling to vote.

The first phase of polling is scheduled for April 23 across 152 constituencies, with a second phase on April 29 covering 142 seats. Another updated list is expected on April 27.

Meanwhile, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul dismissed as withdrawn a public interest litigation filed by Sk Anwar Ali, which alleged that the appellate mechanism for aggrieved voters remains “unclear, inaccessible, and inconsistently implemented”.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Jhuma Sen argued that despite Supreme Court orders dated March 10 and 16, procedural clarity on appellate tribunals was lacking and sought publication of a standard operating procedure (SOP).

However, the bench orally observed that the Supreme Court had left it to tribunals to determine their own procedure and that the Chief Justice’s role was administrative, not supervisory.

Terming the plea “not maintainable,” the court said it was the wrong forum for such grievances. The petitioner subsequently sought withdrawal, and the PIL was dismissed.