Kolkata: The Election Commission of India on Thursday released the eighth supplementary voter list for West Bengal, announcing that approximately 52 lakh cases under adjudication have been disposed of. Officials expressed confidence that the remaining cases around 8 lakh will be completed within the next four days, in line with the directions of the Calcutta High Court.
Over 60 lakh entries came under scrutiny following the publication of the final draft electoral rolls. The adjudication is being conducted by judicial officers in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the voter list ahead of the upcoming elections.
A senior EC official said, “If the current pace of verification continues, the entire process should be completed by April 7.” The move is crucial as the first phase of polling in West Bengal is scheduled for April 23, with the last date for nomination filings set for April 6. All verification must be completed before the electoral rolls are finalized.
Security concerns for judicial officers have come into focus after an incident in Malda’s Kaliachak area, where officials were surrounded while performing verification duties. Authorities are now taking additional measures to ensure the safety of personnel engaged in the adjudication process.
Meanwhile, individuals whose names are not included in the supplementary voter list will need to approach election tribunals for redressal. However, the timeline for the tribunals to begin functioning remains unclear.