EC clears two TMC candidates in supplementary list
The Statesman | 30 March 2026
Hours after the Trinamul Congress (TMC) wrote to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking urgent intervention over the status of 11 of its candidates whose names remain in the ‘under consideration’ list amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) cleared two candidates in the second supplementary voter list published on Friday night.
The development has brought partial relief to the ruling party, with the names of Shyampukur candidate Shashi Panja and Hasan constituency nominee Kajal Sheikh figuring in the latest list.
Both had been marked as ‘under consideration’ until now. However, their inclusion removes any hurdle for filing nominations.
Though two candidates have been cleared but uncertainty continues for Uttarpara candidate Shirshanya Bandyopadhyay, whose name does not feature in the second supplementary list, leaving his candidature hanging in the balance.
Polling in the state will be conducted in two phases ~ on 23 April and 29 April.
The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is 6 April, while candidates contesting in the second phase can submit nominations until 9 April.
As per ECI rules, candidates must have their names included in the electoral roll to be eligible to file nominations.
Earlier, the Trinamul Congress had approached the Calcutta High Court, urging that the names of candidates be finalised before nomination deadlines.
In a three-page letter, party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya appealed to Chief Justice Sujay Paul to intervene on an urgent basis.
Concerns have been mounting over candidates whose names are still pending under the ‘under consideration’ category.
Earlier, on 23 March, nearly a month ahead of the polls, the ECI had released the first supplementary voter list close to midnight. In comparison, the second list was published slightly earlier on Friday, around 11.30 p.m.
According to sources, the status of around 37 lakh voters has been resolved so far with the release of the second list, while approximately 23 lakh cases are still pending.
However, it remains unclear how many of those previously marked ‘under consideration’ have been included or excluded in the revised rolls.
The lack of clarity has been compounded by technical glitches.
Following the publication of the first list, the ECI had said hard copies would be displayed at booths the next morning but confusion prevailed throughout the day, with many unable to verify their status online due to the commission’s website malfunctioning.
Similar issues persisted on Friday, with the second supplementary list also shrouded in uncertainty.