Full Breakdown
Dispute Over Appeal Numbers in West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In early August 2026, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said that of the roughly 27 lakh voters removed from the electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) adjudication, only seven lakh had filed appeals before the court-appointed tribunals. The Election Commission of India (ECI) later submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court indicating that more than 22 lakh appeals had been lodged against exclusion, out of over 38.31 lakh appeals filed in the state.
Background & Context
The SIR exercise, ordered by the Supreme Court in a case filed by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, aimed to purge “logically discrepant” entries from voter lists. The process has become a political flashpoint, with the ruling BJP-aligned government and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) trading accusations over the legitimacy of deletions and the handling of appeals.
Data & Statistics
- 27 lakh names were deleted from West Bengal’s rolls.
- 38.31 lakh appeals were filed statewide, according to the ECI affidavit dated September 16, 2026.
- Over 22 lakh appeals concerned exclusion; the remainder concerned inclusion.
- By September 10, 2026, tribunals had received 38,29,926 appeals.
- Only 1.26 lakh appeals had been decided by September 16, 2026, with 93 % resulting in inclusion.
Official Statements & Responses
- The chief minister reiterated the “seven lakh” figure at the launch of the Census self-enumeration exercise in Kolkata, linking non-appeal to citizenship and welfare eligibility.
- An unnamed senior West Bengal official later echoed the same figure, citing district reports.
- The ECI, responding to a Supreme Court directive, provided a segregated breakdown of appeals that contradicted the seven-lakh estimate.
- Adhikari also blamed former chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the deletions, asserting that judicial officers acted on Supreme Court directions in her case.
Criticism & Opposition
- Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury obtained an RTI revealing the total number of appeals and placed it before the Supreme Court on August 24, 2026, during a petition filed by Congress leader Prasenjit Bose and TMC leader Derek O’Brien.
- The TMC alleges genuine voters were removed and has demanded restoration of names, while opposition parties question the transparency of the appeal-segregation process.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The chief minister’s “seven lakh” figure conflicts with the ECI’s “over 22 lakh” count of appeals against exclusion.
- The ECI’s affidavit lists 38,31,429 total appeals, whereas the annexure shows 38,29,926, a discrepancy of 1,503 appeals.
- No independent verification of the seven-lakh claim was possible at the time, as the Election Commission’s public disclosures did not separate appeals by exclusion versus inclusion.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Out of the 27 lakh people who were given an opportunity to approach the SIR tribunal, around seven lakh had applied. The rest have not submitted any application or appeal so far.” — Suvendu Adhikari
- “The responsibility for the deletion of 27 lakh names lies with Mamata Banerjee, not the BJP or the Election Commission.” — Suvendu Adhikari
What’s Next
The Supreme Court continues to hear the petition challenging the ECI’s handling of the SIR process. Further orders may require additional clarification of appeal figures and the criteria used for voter deletions.