Voters on electoral roll by April 9 eligible to vote in second phase of Bengal Assembly polls: Officials
Telegraph | 4 April 2026
Voters on the electoral rolls by April 9 could be the only ones eligible to vote in the second phase of Bengal’s Assembly elections, according to officials working on the rolls.
Some officials said they were awaiting a Supreme Court hearing on April 6 for clarity on whether exceptions could be made this time.
Under existing rules, the voter list must be frozen on the last date of nomination filing. Bengal votes in two phases — April 23 and 29 — with Calcutta going to the polls in the second phase. The last date of nomination filing for the first phase is April 6, and for the second phase, April 9.
A poll panel official cited section 23(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which specifies when electoral rolls are frozen before an election.
The section states: “No amendment, transposition or deletion of any entry shall be made under Section 22 and no direction for the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll of a constituency shall be given under this section, after the last date for making nominations for an election in that constituency or in the parliamentary constituency within which that constituency is comprised and before the completion of that election.”
Tens of thousands of Bengal voters under adjudication are now appealing to tribunals of retired high court judges against the decisions of judicial officers. The tribunals have not yet begun examining these appeals.
“I do not know yet whether I will be able to vote. I have filed my appeal, but when my case will be decided is not known to me,” said Hasir Mallick, a voter in Uttarpara, Hooghly.
During a hearing on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said the chief justice of Calcutta High Court had informed the apex court that all under-adjudication cases were likely to be decided by April 7. “The learned Chief Justice has informed us that the pending objections are likely to be adjudicated by 07.04.2026,” the court’s order stated.
In the second phase, 142 Assembly constituencies in Calcutta and neighbouring Howrah, North and South 24-Parganas, Hooghly, Nadia and East Burdwan will go to the polls. Election officials will hand over the frozen electoral rolls to all recognised political parties on April 13, the last date for withdrawal of candidates for this phase.
The first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Malda, West Burdwan, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, and East and West Midnapore.
Till Friday afternoon, the Election Commission had published eight supplementary lists. Sources in the Bengal chief electoral officer’s office said the cases of 52 lakh voters under adjudication had been decided by the eighth list, with 42-45% of these voters deleted.