Kolkata: The ongoing verification of electoral rolls in West Bengal has led to significant scrutiny of voter records, with about 34 percent of the cases examined under the “logical discrepancy” category found eligible for exclusion, according to sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Officials said over 60 lakh voter records were flagged for discrepancies and referred for judicial review. So far, around 15 lakh cases have been adjudicated, representing nearly 25 percent of the total cases under review.
Out of these, more than five lakh entries have been identified for removal from the electoral rolls after verification.
Electoral roll clean-up continues
The verification exercise is part of an ongoing effort to update voter records ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. Earlier, around 59 lakh names had already been removed from the draft electoral rolls under categories such as deceased voters, shifted residents, duplicate entries and untraceable individuals.
With the latest exclusions, the total number of deleted entries has reached around 63 lakh.
Legal remedy available to affected voters
Officials clarified that individuals whose names are proposed to be removed will have the option to appeal before the designated Appellate Tribunal, in line with Supreme Court guidelines.
Authorities said the process is being conducted under judicial supervision to ensure transparency and fairness.
Judicial officers deployed to speed up process
To accelerate the verification exercise, around 732 judicial officers have been engaged, including officers deputed from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha.
Election officials indicated that the first supplementary list based on the adjudication process is expected to be released shortly.
Poll body confident of timely completion
During a recent visit to Kolkata, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressed confidence that the verification process would be completed before the upcoming Assembly elections to ensure only eligible voters remain on the rolls.
The final electoral roll, excluding cases under adjudication, was published on February 28. Supplementary lists are expected to be released in phases as the judicial review progresses.
