Supreme Court Directs Revised Electoral Roll Amid Upcoming West Bengal Polls

The Supreme Court has mandated the Election Commission of India to issue a supplementary revised electoral roll, including voters whose appeals against their deletion are accepted by appellate tribunals in West Bengal. This directive comes ahead of the state's two-phase polls scheduled for April 23 and April 29.

The Supreme Court has ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to produce a supplementary electoral roll. This roll will incorporate voters whose appeals, regarding the deletion of their names, are successfully addressed by appellate tribunals in West Bengal. The state's elections are set for April 23 and April 29.

Led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, the court's bench decreed on April 13 that pending appeals alone don't permit excluded individuals to vote. Employing Article 142 of India's Constitution, the court instructed ECI to reflect tribunal decisions made by April 21 or 27 in the revised electoral roll.

Regarding a plea by 13 individuals contesting their voter list exclusions, the court labeled the petition as 'premature.' It urged the affected parties to seek redress through established appellate tribunals, as directed by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, who has organized 19 tribunals for resolving these disputes.

(With inputs from agencies.)