The Supreme Court has ruled that voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal cannot be granted an interim right to vote while their appeals remain pending.
The matter arises ahead of the two-phase Assembly election in the state. During a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the rolls, about 91 lakh names were removed, and around 34 lakh affected voters have filed petitions before 19 appellate tribunals seeking re-inclusion. With the election schedule nearing, the voter list has been frozen.
A fresh petition sought an extension of the freeze deadline and permission for successful appellants to vote in the ongoing election. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi declined interim voting relief, stating that pending appeals cannot translate into voting permission for this election.
At the same time, the court stressed that the right to be included in the voter list should not be denied, and described the sudden deletions in West Bengal as appearing one-sided and hurried. It directed the appellate tribunals to expedite hearings and deliver decisions to ensure lawful relief for eligible voters, while allowing petitioners to continue their legal remedies.
