The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, has confirmed that the final voters’ list in the state will be released on February 28 as planned. Any cases with “logical discrepancies” will be referred to judicial officers for resolution in line with the Supreme Court’s directive. This decision follows the court’s order to involve serving and retired judicial officers in overseeing the resolution of claims and objections during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, received assurance from the CEO that the final voters’ list will be published on time, with cases needing review by judicial officers excluded from the initial release. Additional supplementary lists will be issued later to incorporate decisions on these cases. Initially set for February 14, the publication date was rescheduled to February 28 to allow for thorough scrutiny and verification of claims and objections.
In a virtual review meeting, the CEO, accompanied by Additional CEOs, Joint CEOs, Deputy CEOs, and Special Roll Observers, assessed the progress of the revision exercise with district magistrates, who also serve as district electoral officers (DEOs). Officials were urged to expedite the scrutiny process, with a warning against further delays or lackadaisical approaches. Some district electoral officers indicated a need for an extra four to five days to complete scrutiny processes in their areas.
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision aims to address claims, objections, and discrepancies in the electoral rolls before the upcoming elections in West Bengal. The Election Commission’s objective is to ensure accuracy and transparency in the final voters’ list.
