Full Breakdown
West Bengal Supreme Court Pushes to Prioritize Inclusion Appeals Amid Tribunal Backlog
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Supreme Court Suggests Prioritizing Inclusion Appeals
On October 9 2026 the Supreme Court orally indicated that voters seeking reinstatement on West Bengal’s electoral roll should be heard before appeals seeking exclusion. The Court signaled that the matter would likely be listed on October 16 2026 on a priority basis, with October 29 2026 noted as an alternative date.
Background & Context
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of West Bengal’s voter lists, conducted in early 2026, deleted roughly 27 lakh electors whose records showed “logical discrepancies.” To address the deletions, the Election Commission of India (ECI) created 19 single-member appellate tribunals on March 20 2026 to adjudicate appeals from voters whose names were removed or added during the SIR.
Data & Statistics
- 38.31 lakh appeals filed before the tribunals (EC affidavit, September 18 2026).
- 22.21 lakh seek restoration; 16.10 lakh challenge inclusions.
- Only about 3 % of appeals have been disposed of (? 1.26 lakh as of September 10 2026), leaving a backlog of roughly 37 lakh pending.
- Of the disposed appeals, 93 % resulted in reinstatement.
- Municipal elections for Kolkata and Howrah Corporations are scheduled for the last week of November 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
- Justice Joymalya Bagchi warned that the tribunals’ “taking time” and stressed the need for technology, method and fairness to align.
- Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan cautioned, “We have missed one election, we are going to miss another.”
- On October 2 2026 the Chief Electoral Officer issued a notice that eligible voters deleted in the SIR may submit Form 6 online or through a Booth Level Officer to seek re-enrolment.
Criticism & Opposition
Retired judges heading the tribunals have flagged flaws in the ECINET portal, recorded in minutes of an August 11 meeting:
- No mechanism to serve notices, slowing disposal.
- Inability to upload documents or hold virtual hearings.
- No function to restore a voter’s name after an order.
- No provision for appellants to download tribunal orders.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing five disenfranchised voters, argued that pending inclusion appeals should be allowed to vote in the municipal polls, citing the tribunals’ high reinstatement rate.
Verbatim Quotes
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Deleted voter count varies: reports cite “nearly 91 lakh,” 27 lakh, 27.16 lakh, and 27.23 lakh.
- Backlog figures differ: the September 18 affidavit lists 37,18,452 pending appeals, while other sources round to 37.05 lakh.
- Disposed appeal numbers are reported as 1.02 lakh (affidavit) and 1.26 lakh (EC submission on September 10).
What’s Next
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter on October 16 2026 (or October 29 2026). The ECI has announced an independent expert committee to review the ECINET portal’s compliance with legal requirements. With municipal elections slated for the last week of November 2026, the urgency of resolving pending inclusion appeals remains high.