West Bengal SIR appeals stall as three tribunals lie vacant before polls

At least three of the 19 appellate tribunals set up in West Bengal to settle disputes linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are vacant, amid a massive pendency of appeals. Election Commission functionaries said "at least" three tribunals are without heads, while the EC awaits names from the Calcutta High Court for fresh appointments.

With local and municipal elections nearing, more than 37 lakh voters remain in legal limbo, raising concerns over possible mass disenfranchisement. Of the 38.3 lakh appeals filed, tribunals have resolved only around 1.02 lakh cases, a completion rate of under three per cent, and petitioners have told the Supreme Court that at the current pace, clearing the backlog could take more than 12 years.

The special tribunals were set up on March 21 following Supreme Court directions. They were tasked with deciding disputes after millions of names were deleted or contested during the SIR exercise. According to submissions made in the apex court, the system has several shortcomings. Of the total appeals, 22.2 lakh were filed by deleted voters challenging their exclusion, while 16.1 lakh contested the inclusion of voters.

The Calcutta High Court will send the names of retired high court judges to the West Bengal chief electoral officer, who will then notify their appointments to the three vacant tribunals. While the tribunals report to the Calcutta High Court, the EC provides them secretarial assistance, including staff and a digital platform for online hearings.

The opposition has described the SIR exercise as the "biggest hijacking of democracy" and accused the EC of using algorithm-driven processes to disproportionately delete voters' names from electoral rolls, allegedly targeting minority communities and traditional opposition strongholds. Overall, the vacancy in tribunals and the low rate of disposal have left a large number of appeals pending as elections draw closer.