Tribunal-cleared voters to be reinstated, but poll officials flag logistical hurdles
The Statesman | 19 April 2026
Though West Bengal CEO Monoj Agarwal said that the name of the voters’ cleared by the tribunals will be included in the voters’ list according to SC directive but officials responsible for conducting election expressed apprehensions regarding the feasibility of the process.
“Applications will be examined by 19 judges in the tribunals and disposed of accordingly. Those whose names were deleted will be included in the electoral roll once cleared by the tribunals,” Chief Electoral Officer Monoj Agarwal told the media on Thursday night.
“The electoral roll has been finalised till 9 April. Names that are cleared by 21 April will be incorporated into the list and those voters will regain their voting rights,” he had said.
On being asked about the number of cases disposed of so far, Agarwal said: “A dashboard has not yet been created, so it is not possible to give an exact figure right now. Work has begun and updates will be shared soon.”
He also clarified that the tribunals are functioning independently and are not under the Election Commission of India or the CEO’s office.
Addressing concerns about last-minute inclusion of names, Agarwal said the Commission is working on a software system to ensure seamless integration of cleared names into the voter list.
“Once the names are cleared, they can be added to the rolls through a bridging software. This should not pose much difficulty,” he said.
He also stated that voters can check their status through booth-level officers (BLOs), the official website, or local administrative offices.
The CEO’s response comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order allowing individuals, whose names are cleared by appellate tribunals by 21 and 27 April, to vote in the Assembly elections scheduled on 23 and 29 April.
However, election officials on the ground expressed serious concerns about the practicality of implementing the directive within such tight timelines.
An officer engaged in poll preparedness in a district voting on 23 April said, “New voter names may have to be added up to two days before polling. But the marked copy of the electoral roll is prepared five days in advance, which makes last-minute changes extremely difficult.”
Explaining the process, the officer said the marked electoral roll ~ essential for conducting polling ~ is generated at the District Election Officer’s office five days before polling and dispatched to returning officers four days prior.
It also includes markings of those who have already voted via postal ballots or are on election duty.
“These documents are packed along with EVMs and other materials by P-3 day. In districts with over 200 booths, polling parties leave two days before polling. If names are added at the last minute, it becomes unclear how updated rolls will reach them,” the officer added.
“In some cases, polling teams collect materials a day before voting, but in remote areas, they leave earlier. How will updated electoral rolls be provided in such cases?” another official said.
Officials also raised concerns about voter awareness.
“If supplementary lists are published just a day before polling, especially in rural areas, many voters may not be able to verify their status online. This could lead to confusion at polling booths,” another officer said.
Nineteen tribunals, led by retired judges, have started functioning since 12 April to examine appeals of voters whose names were deleted. However, there is still no clarity on how many of the over 27 lakh affected voters have been cleared so far.
With the first phase of polling approaching, officials indicated that reconciling judicial directives with ground-level logistics would be a significant challenge.