Bengal electoral roll update: EC clears 52 lakh cases in eighth supplementary list

The Election Commission (EC) has published the eighth supplementary list for West Bengal’s electoral rolls, stating that it has resolved approximately 5.2 million cases that were under adjudication. Officials indicated that the remaining cases are expected to be processed within the next few days, in line with directions issued by the Calcutta High Court.

According to an election official, verification and disposal work had been completed for the majority of cases by Thursday evening, with around 800,000 applications still pending. At the current pace, authorities are confident that the entire adjudication process will be concluded by 7 April.

The exercise follows the publication of the final draft electoral rolls, after which more than 6 million names were flagged for scrutiny. The verification process is being conducted by judicial officers, in compliance with instructions from the Supreme Court.

The timing of the exercise is critical, as the first phase of polling in the state is scheduled for 23 April. The deadline for filing nominations for this phase falls on 6 April, making it essential for the electoral rolls to be finalised beforehand.

Concerns over the safety of officials involved in the process have intensified following an incident in Kaliachak, Malda district, where judicial officers were reportedly surrounded by a group of people on Wednesday night. In response, authorities have said that additional measures are being put in place to ensure their security.

Meanwhile, individuals whose names do not appear in the latest supplementary list will be required to seek recourse through tribunals. However, there remains uncertainty regarding when these tribunals will become operational.

With PTI inputs