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Supreme Court monitors West Bengal voter appeal backlog

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 07:54 UTC → 2026-10-12 20:33 UTC · added removed

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling that removal from electoral rolls does not strip individuals of welfare entitlements or citizenship, legal scrutiny has shifted toward the massive backlog of appeals regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. On 11 August 2026, the Court directed the Election Commission to provide comprehensive data on the status of appeals decided and those pending before West Bengal’s appellate tribunals. This followed a petition by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeking the speedy disposal of cases related to the removal of approximately 9.1 million voters. At a hearing on 25 August 2026, the Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission of India to expedite the appeals process, emphasizing that disenfranchised persons have a right to decisions within a reasonable timeframe. The Court requested a detailed breakdown of pending cases to determine if priority should be given to voter exclusion challenges versus inclusion requests. Data revealed via a Right to Information request indicated that of approximately 3.8 million pending appeals, roughly 80%—or 3.1 million—are challenges against the inclusion of certain persons in the rolls. Of the approximately 83,000 appeals decided to date, over 75,000 were allowed, meaning nearly 90% of decided cases favored the voters. On 16 September 2026, the Election Commission informed the Court that over 97% of appeals remain pending. An affidavit stated that of 3,820,683 total appeals, pending, with only 102,231—approximately 2.68%—have been disposed of, leaving 3,718,452 102,231 cases awaiting decision. disposed of. On 11 October 2026, new details emerged regarding the administrative hurdles causing this delay. The Election Commission has not yet provided is currently awaiting names of retired Calcutta High Court judges to fill vacancies in at least three of the specific breakdown requested by 19 SIR appellate tribunals. The backlog now stands at approximately 3.83 million appeals, comprising 2.22 million challenges to voter deletions and 1.61 million contests regarding inclusions. Petitioners have warned that at the current resolution rate, clearing the backlog could take more than 12 years. The Supreme Court is scheduled to differentiate between hear matters on 16 October, potentially considering prioritizing inclusion appeals against exclusion ahead of upcoming municipal elections in Kolkata and those against inclusion. Howrah.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-12 20:33 UTC Supreme Court monitors West Bengal voter appeal backlog
  2. 2026-09-19 07:54 UTC Supreme Court monitors West Bengal voter appeal backlog
  3. 2026-08-25 12:14 UTC India Supreme Court monitors West Bengal voter appeal backl
  4. 2026-08-11 11:51 UTC India Supreme Court limits voter-list impacts on rights

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