SC orders supplementary voter roll inclusion in Bengal's final list
What's the story
The Supreme Court has invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to ensure that eligible voters are included in the final electoral roll for West Bengal. The final list is due on February 28, but supplementary lists will be updated continuously until nominations close, the court directed. The court's intervention aims to ensure no voter is disenfranchised due to procedural timelines.
Voter inclusion
Need for fairness in electoral process
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, emphasized the need for fairness in the electoral process. They stressed preserving the purity and sanctity of the electoral roll. The court's order comes after concerns that existing rules could exclude applicants moving less than 10 clear days before nominations from being included in the final roll.
Judicial manpower
HC communication on pending cases
The court's intervention came after a detailed communication from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. The communication highlighted nearly 80 lakh cases flagged under categories like "logical discrepancies" and "unmapped category" required adjudication. Over 250 district and additional district judges are currently adjudicating around 50 lakh claims and objections. The Supreme Court noted that even if each judicial officer disposed of 250 cases a day, it would take roughly 80 days to complete this exercise.
Judicial assistance
Additional manpower authorized to be roped in
To meet the deadline, the Supreme Court has authorized the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to seek additional judicial manpower. This includes civil judges with at least three years' experience and serving or retired judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will bear their travel and related expenses.
Document verification
Verification limited to specified documents
The court has also clarified that verification will be limited to documents specified in the ECI's notification of October 27, 2025, that initiated the SIR. This includes Aadhaar, admit cards, and certificates as proof of identity. Electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant EROs have been directed to satisfy presiding judicial officers on the validity of these documents.