Key Points
The Election Commission released the first supplementary voter list in West Bengal after adjudicating 29 lakh cases flagged during the Special Intensive Revision.
The poll body did not specify how many names were deleted or added, leaving uncertainty over voter eligibility.
More than 60 lakh voters remain under review, with appellate tribunals yet to be formed to hear challenges. Further lists are expected to published soon.
The Election Commission (ECI) released the first supplementary voter list ahead of Assembly Elections in West Bengal on 23 March 2026. The list follows adjudications under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but does not clarify how many names have been deleted or retained.
The list was published minutes before midnight, with booth-wise voter details made available on the ECI website and mobile application. The supplementary list includes voters whose eligibility has been decided by judicial officers appointed for the review process.
According to the ECI, 29 lakh cases have been adjudicated so far out of more than 60 lakh voters flagged for review. However, officials did not disclose how many voters were removed from the rolls or how many were reinstated, leaving uncertainty over the impact of the exercise.
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal said that the number of deletions was not yet available. He stated that the process was ongoing and further supplementary lists would be published as adjudications continued.
The SIR exercise remains ongoing in the state even as elections are scheduled for 23 and 29 April 2026, with counting set for 4 May.
The final electoral roll published on 28 February 2026 included 7.04 crore electors, but also flagged 60,06,675 voters as “under adjudication.” Until their names are cleared and included in supplementary lists, these voters will not be able to cast their votes.
The review process was undertaken after discrepancies were identified in enumeration forms during the SIR exercise. Around 1.25 crore notices were issued to voters seeking clarification on their eligibility.
To manage the scale of the exercise, 705 judicial officers were deployed to examine claims and objections. These officers were appointed following directions from the Supreme Court, which intervened to oversee the revision process after clashes between the ECI and state government.
Data accessed by officials showed that the highest number of pending cases were concentrated in Murshidabad district, with about 11 lakh cases. Malda followed with 8.28 lakh cases, while South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas had 5.22 lakh and 5 lakh cases respectively.
In contrast, districts such as Jhargram and Kalimpong reported the lowest number of pending cases, with 6,682 and 6,790 cases respectively. Officials said adjudications in these districts have already been completed, and judicial officers deployed there have been reassigned to districts with higher workloads.
Officials said voters whose names do not appear in the supplementary list will be able to challenge decisions through appellate tribunals. These tribunals are expected to be set up by the Calcutta High Court across all 23 districts in the state.
However, no timeline has been announced for the formation of these tribunals. The state government is expected to provide infrastructure and logistical support, after which the High Court will approve the arrangements. The absence of a functioning appellate mechanism has added to uncertainty among voters whose eligibility remains unresolved.
Earlier, the Supreme Court directed the formation of appellate tribunals comprising former High Court chief justices and judges to hear appeals against exclusions from the voter list. The court’s intervention followed concerns over the lack of an independent appeal mechanism for voters.
Authorities held multiple meetings ahead of the release of the supplementary list to review law and order arrangements. Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Pal convened an emergency meeting to discuss security concerns related to judicial officers involved in the adjudication process.
Senior state officials, including Chief Secretary Dushyant Narial, also met election authorities and observers to assess preparedness. Separate discussions were held between election officials and senior police officers to ensure public order during the publication of the lists. Security was tightened across several districts in anticipation of possible tensions following the release.
The ECI said voters can check their names in the supplementary list using assembly constituency and booth details through the official website and the ECInet app.
Officials also indicated that additional supplementary lists would be released as adjudication progresses. Reports suggested that in some areas, users initially faced difficulties downloading the lists after their publication.
Further updates are expected as adjudication continues and additional supplementary lists are issued in the coming days.
Suggested Reading:
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp
Download our app on Play Store