The Supreme Court has granted permission for judicial officers from Jharkhand and Orissa High Courts to assist in expediting the resolution of voter claims and objections in West Bengal. This decision aims to address the backlog of cases related to “logical discrepancy” and “unmapped category” voters in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. With around 80 lakh pending applications and a limited number of engaged officers, the process was estimated to take approximately 80 days.
To meet the deadline of February 28, 2026, for the final electoral roll, the Calcutta High Court has been allowed to deploy additional Civil Judges with experience to aid in the adjudication process. The Supreme Court has also authorized seeking assistance from neighboring High Courts if more manpower is needed. Judicial officers from Jharkhand and Orissa High Courts, both serving and retired, can be deputed to West Bengal specifically for verifying pending claims, with expenses covered by the Election Commission of India.
The Supreme Court clarified that the ECI can proceed with publishing the final electoral roll by the deadline, even if certain cases are still pending adjudication. Under Article 142 of the Constitution, voters whose names are added to subsequent supplementary lists will be considered part of the final electoral roll released on February 28.
