Full Breakdown
West Bengal Electoral Roll Appeals: Election Commission Data Shows Massive Backlog, Contradicts State Leader’s Claim
By Drooid · · How we work
Background & Context
In 2026 the Supreme Court ordered a large-scale adjudication of West Bengal electoral rolls, tasking judicial officers with reviewing 60.06 lakh flagged entries. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deleted 27.16 lakh names and retained the remainder. To address appeals, the Court directed the Election Commission of India (EC) to establish appellate tribunals. Nineteen tribunals began functioning on April 13, shortly before the state assembly elections on April 23 and April 29.
Data & Statistics
- Deleted electors: 27.16 lakh.
- Appeals filed: 38.31 lakh overall, comprising:
- 22.21 lakh appeals by voters whose names were deleted (? 82 % of the deleted pool).
- 16.10 lakh appeals challenging the inclusion of names that survived the revision.
- Decided cases: 1,26,194 appeals resolved; 1,13,943 resulted in restoration, 8,649 were rejected (restoration rate > 90 %).
- Restorations to date: As of August 7 2026, 75,443 restorations had been recorded, representing 3.40 % of the 22.21 lakh deleted electors who appealed.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The EC’s affidavit to the Supreme Court on September 18 disclosed that 22.21 lakh deleted electors had filed appeals, a figure more than three times the estimate cited by the state chief minister. The affidavit also clarifies that the total appeal pool includes both inclusion and exclusion challenges, a split not previously disclosed.
Official Statements & Responses
The EC told the Supreme Court that the 19 tribunals are overwhelmed and proposed expanding the network to 42 tribunals—one for each West Bengal Lok Sabha constituency. It rejected arguments that SIR deletions altered the 2026 assembly election outcomes, calling the comparison of deletion numbers with victory margins a “flawed, speculative yardstick.”
Criticism & Opposition
Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal, questioned the EC’s figures and the broader implications for citizenship claims:
> “Of the 27 lakh names deleted after adjudication, only 7 lakh have filed appeals. It remains to be seen whether those who did not claim voter status will now claim citizenship.” — Suvendu Adhikari
Timeline
- August 1: Adhikari’s statement on the alleged 7 lakh appeals.
- September 18: EC informs Supreme Court of 22.21 lakh appeals by deleted voters.
- February 28 2026: Final electoral roll published, containing the 16.10 lakh challenged names.
- August 17 2026: RTI reply notes that the appeal total includes both inclusion and exclusion challenges.
- August 7 2026: Record of 75,443 restorations reported.
- March 10: Supreme Court orders creation of appellate tribunals.
- April 13: Nineteen tribunals commence operations.
What’s Next
The EC’s affidavit proposes increasing appellate tribunals from 19 to 42 and using video-conferencing for remote hearings. These measures aim to accelerate disposal of the more than 37 lakh pending appeals and ensure timely resolution before upcoming elections.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Of the 27 lakh names deleted after adjudication, only 7 lakh have filed appeals. It remains to be seen whether those who did not claim voter status will now claim citizenship.” — Suvendu Adhikari