Amid mounting uncertainty over the voting rights of lakhs of citizens ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, the process of judicial intervention has gathered momentum with the imminent launch of the West Bengal SIR Tribunal at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation in Joka, South 24 Parganas.
According to sources, the constitution of the tribunal is in its final stages, with full-fledged operations expected to commence within the next three to four days. Judges have already inspected the premises, signalling readiness to begin proceedings. Commission officials stated that the tribunal will comprise 19 judicial officers, assisted by three officers of the rank of Additional District Magistrate (ADM). Necessary infrastructure has already been put in place, and the panel could begin functioning as early as this week.
The tribunal assumes significance in the wake of the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, during which approximately 91 lakh names were removed from the voter list. As per Election Commission norms, both the draft and final electoral rolls have already been “frozen,” making further changes through administrative processes impossible.
In this context, the tribunal will hear appeals from individuals whose names have been struck off. However, a key question remains unresolved—whether those whose names are restored by the tribunal will be eligible to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections. The issue has triggered widespread debate across the state.
The matter has now reached the Supreme Court of India, where a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to deliver a crucial ruling on Monday. During the hearing, the court observed that the right to vote is of paramount importance, and its verdict is expected to clarify the legal position regarding restored voters’ participation in the elections.
Data released by the Election Commission highlights the scale of the revision exercise. At the start of the SIR process, the total electorate stood at over 7.66 crore. In the draft list, more than 58 lakh names were removed, followed by an additional 5.46 lakh exclusions in the final list published on February 28.
The most contentious category involved over 60 lakh voters marked as “under consideration.” Of these, more than 27 lakh names were ultimately deleted in the latest update. In total, 90,83,345 names have been removed during the revision process, raising serious concerns about voter disenfranchisement.
With tribunal proceedings set to begin shortly, attention is now firmly focused on the Supreme Court’s impending decision. The verdict is expected to determine whether millions of affected individuals will regain their voting rights or remain excluded from the democratic process in the forthcoming elections.
Also read: Bengal’s 65-seat faultline: How thin margins, SIR may decide poll
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