West Bengal SIR: ECI tells Supreme Court 16.1 lakh appeals against voter inclusions were filed by CEO officials in Bengal; questions over authorization remains

THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA HAS informed the Supreme Court in its affidavit that around 16.10 lakh appeals filed against the inclusion of electors’ names in West Bengal’s voter’s list were filed by officials from the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). 

The ECI maintained that these officials had filed these appeals in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Supreme Court’s observations. 

See Also: West Bengal SIR Update: RTI Reveals Only 7 Lakh of 38 Lakh Appeals are Against Deletions

This response, however, has sparked a renewed interest in the functioning of the ECI, as questions are being raised over the authorization of these appeals that sought to challenge the inclusion of around 16.10 lakh electors in West Bengal. 

What did the ECI’s affidavit say about the appeals against voter inclusion in West Bengal? 

The ECI submitted an affidavit before the apex court on October 26, 2026, as the pressure and questions on its functioning were mounting. In the affidavit, the ECI clarified the case of West Bengal and the concerns related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, with reference to a communication from the West Bengal CEO’s office on October 22, 2026. 

According to ECI’s affidavit, the West Bengal CEO’s office explained that the appeals filed against the inclusion of names in the voters list were done by its officials in their capacity as statutory authorities under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. 

Additionally, it also stated that the appeals filed by the officials of the West Bengal CEO’s office were not brought before the Election Commission. 

SIR in West Bengal and the deletion of voters’ name

The SIR process in West Bengal had been highly contested and controversial. A phase of around 15 months that witnessed around 90 lakh deletions and 38 lakh appeals, alongside heated political exchanges, debates have continued. 

The data submitted by the ECI before the Supreme Court in September noted a total of 38,31,429 appeals in connection with the West Bengal SIR exercise. Of these, 22,21,118 were filed by voters whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls and demanded their restoration. And the remaining 16,10,311 appeals were filed against the inclusion of the voters.

And it was these 16,10,311 appeals that became the point of controversy. 

In the recent exchange with the apex court, the Commission informed that these voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the West Bengal Assembly elections held in April 2026.

Noting all these clarifications, the ECI submitted an affidavit, where it stated that the decisions taken were unanimous and in accordance with the legal framework of the country. 

See Also: “Decisions were unanimously passed”: Election Commission submits affidavit to the Supreme Court; states no irregularities in SIR-related decisions

In its affidavit, the ECI has outrightly described the petition as "misconceived." It has denied any amendments to Form 6 — the form used to include one’s name in the voter list. However, it maintained that the ECI had “rationalized” the format of the Form 6 — the one used in the BIhar SIR. Their argument rests on the ground that such a transformation was done to enhance the speed and efficiency of the mapping process.

[Rh/AR]

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