TMC BJP welcome SC allowing voters cleared by tribunals to exercise their franchise

PTI, Kolkata, Apr 16, 2026 :  The ruling All India Trinamool Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court of India's decision allowing voters whose cases have been cleared by tribunals to exercise their franchise in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the SC has given the direction in a case filed by her.

"Those whose names have been left out should apply to the tribunal. They will certainly get back their voting rights. I am very happy. This verdict has come in a case filed by me. I am proud of the judiciary. No one is happier than I am today," she said in Cooch Behar.

Banerjee, who is eyeing a fourth straight term in office, directed TMC workers to ensure that voters whose names are restored shortly before polling do not face inconvenience.

She said arrangements must be made for preparing and distributing voter slips to such electors in time so that they can exercise their franchise without difficulty.

Welcoming the direction, West Bengal BJP co-in-charge Amit Malviya said his party has filed lakhs of appeals and objections, and those must be heard on priority, and all eligible voters should have their names restored without delay.

"The Supreme Court has ruled on disputed voters, stating that those cleared by tribunals for inclusion in the voter list up to two days before the election will be allowed to vote. This is a welcome judgment, especially as names of Hindu Bengalis, Rajbongshis, and Matuas had been selectively struck off by Mamata Banerjee’s BLOs, EROs, and DEOs. They can now be reinstated," he said in a social media post.

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Election Commission of India (EC) to issue a supplementary revised electoral roll to include the voters whose appeals against the deletion of their names are allowed by the appellate tribunals in West Bengal.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, in an order passed on April 13, said the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote.

"We, therefore, invoke our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and direct the ECI that, wherever the appellate tribunals are able to decide the appeals by April 21, 2026, or April 27, 2026, as the case may be, such appellate orders shall be given effect to by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll and all necessary consequences with respect to the right to vote shall follow.

"However, it goes without saying that the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote," the bench said.

The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court has set up 19 tribunals headed by former high court Chief Justices and judges to decide appeals against the deletion of names from the voters' list.

The state will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The counting will be held on May 4.