Only 139 names were included on Wednesday in the final voter rolls for the first phase of the assembly election in West Bengal after appellate tribunals cleared these people, earlier placed under a controversial “logical discrepancy” and “unmapped voters” category and rejected by judicial officers after adjudication.
In comparison, the total number of people deleted because of logical discrepancies stands at 2.71 million. Of these, around 1.4 million were from constituencies going to polls in the first phase. In all, the 19 tribunals – which took several days to even become operational – disposed of 657 cases arising from disputes linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“In all, 139 names have been included in the voters’ list after being cleared by the appellate tribunals. Eight names have been deleted,” state chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal was quoted as saying by PTI. “All 139 voters whose names have been added following tribunal orders will be able to vote tomorrow.”
The status of the remaining 510 cases was not immediately clear.
On Wednesday morning, the Election Commission published the supplementary electoral roll for West Bengal’s Phase 1 constituencies, incorporating the outcomes of appellate tribunal hearings conducted ahead of the Supreme Court-mandated deadline of April 21.
The 139 voters whose names were restored will be eligible to cast their votes on Wednesday and join 36 million others who will vote across 152 constituencies. “Two lists have been published for the first phase polls. While one comprises names of voters, who were included in the electoral roll after being cleared by the court-appointed appellate tribunals, the second one comprises deleted names of voters,” said an ECI official.
Last week the Supreme Court ordered that people cleared by appellate tribunals for inclusion in electoral rolls at least two days before polling will be entitled to vote, significantly relaxing the earlier freeze on voter lists and offering relief to many caught in the ongoing special intensive revision exercise.
Of the 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal, 152 seats go to polls on Thursday.
“The political parties, candidates, the returning officers and district election officers will be given a copy of the updated list. Electors whose cases are cleared by the tribunals will be informed through their booth-level officers,” the CEO said on Tuesday.
The 19 appellate tribunals were formally constituted through an ECI notification dated March 20, 2026, following a Supreme Court order on March 10. Each tribunal is headed by a former high court judge or chief justice.
The tribunals were originally intended to add names to the rolls only until the close of nominations. By that deadline for the first phase on April 6, just two cases had been cleared.
The Supreme Court subsequently invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, directing ECI to give effect to any appellate orders cleared by April 21 for Phase 1 and April 27 for Phase 2 by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll.
