Where do we go? Deleted voters in limbo over SIR tribunal chaos ahead of Bengal polls
Voters in south Kolkata complained of being denied entry, unclear hearing procedures and little guidance at the SIR appellate tribunal that opened in the city, triggering frustration and anxiety just nine days before the first phase of polling on April 23.
“What kind of injustice is this? We are being told to leave without even being allowed inside,” said a Muslim resident of south Kolkata, as voters complained of being denied entry, lack of clear hearing procedures and little guidance at the SIR appellate tribunal that opened in the city on Monday. This comes nine days before the first phase of polling will be held on April 23 and the second phase on April 29.
An estimated 2.4 to 2.7 million voters remain in limbo after their names were struck off the final supplementary electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal. The tribunal, set up to address these grievances, began proceedings at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Institute in Joka.
However, confusion and lack of clarity marked the first day. People across age groups, from first-time voters to the elderly, queued up, hoping to restore their voting rights, only to face uncertainty over procedures. Thousands have applied for reinstatement, but the pace of hearings has raised concerns, with not all designated retired judges present and no comprehensive list of applicants available.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to permit lakhs of voters, whose names were deleted from West Bengal’s electoral rolls, to cast their ballots, cautioning against overburdening appellate tribunals ahead of polling. A total of 90.66 lakh names were struck off during the SIR process.
Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said authorities were still assessing the volume of applications, both online and offline, before taking further decisions.
Many voters expressed frustration over being denied entry at the SIR appellate tribunal and not being guided through the hearing process.
Apu Chakraborty, a South Kolkata resident, expressed her anguish, "My name was on the 2002 voter list, but it was deleted. I came here hoping for a resolution, but they wouldn't even let me inside. Where am I supposed to go?"
Another voter, a Muslim resident of south Kolkata, visited the tribunal with his daughter, questioning, "What kind of injustice is this? We are being told to leave without even being allowed inside."
Another young man named Rahul from South 24 Parganas visited the tribunal. But no one guided them on how and when and whom to talk about the hearing process and how everything would be resolved.
He said, "I am not aware of anything. I was asked to come over here by the Booth Level Officer (BLO). Still there is confusion regarding the same. We were neither allowed inside for the physical hearing, nor have we been suggested anything. The guards asked us to leave. How will these be solved? Whether we are going to vote or not?"
The issue has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court, which questioned the Election Commission over the large-scale deletions, noting that the right to vote is not just legal but deeply emotional.
As proceedings continue, uncertainty looms over whether hearings can be completed within the narrow window and whether those left out will be able to vote in the Assembly elections.