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Three SIR Tribunals Vacant in West Bengal as EC Awaits Calcutta High Court Names
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News18•11-10-2026, 16:45
Three SIR Tribunals Vacant in West Bengal as EC Awaits Calcutta High Court Names
- •Three out of 19 appellate tribunals in West Bengal established for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls are currently vacant.
- •The Election Commission is awaiting the names of retired high court judges from the Calcutta High Court to fill these positions.
- •Over 37 lakh voters remain in legal limbo with tribunals having resolved only about 1.02 lakh out of 38.3 lakh total appeals.
- •Petitioners informed the Supreme Court that clearing the massive backlog at the current pace could take over 12 years.
- •The opposition has criticized the SIR exercise, accusing the Election Commission of disproportionately deleting voters names from electoral rolls.
Key Questions Answered
At least three out of 19 appellate tribunals set up to settle electoral roll disputes in West Bengal are vacant because the Election Commission is awaiting the names of retired high court judges from the Calcutta High Court.
Out of 38.3 lakh total appeals, 22.2 lakh appeals were filed by deleted voters challenging their exclusion, while 16.1 lakh appeals contested voter inclusions.
The tribunals have resolved only about 1.02 lakh cases, resulting in a completion rate of under three per cent.
