Bengal SIR: Supreme Court Allows Excluded Voters To Vote If Appeals Filed Before This Deadline

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Bengal SIR: Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to prepare a supplementary revised electoral roll to include voters whose appeals against the deletion of their names are accepted by Appellate Tribunals before specified cutoff dates, thereby allowing them to vote in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections.

The court said that those voters - whose appeals are cleared before April 21 (for the first phase) and April 27 (for the second phase) must be added to the supplementary rolls, so they can cast their votes on April 23 and April 29, respectively, mentioned a report by Live Law.

“We, therefore, invoke our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and direct the ECI that, wherever the Appellate Tribunals are able to decide the appeals by 21.04.2026 or 27.04.2026, as the case may be, such appellate orders shall be given effect to by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll, and all necessary consequences with respect to the right to vote shall follow,” said a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, as per Live Law's report.

What is the case?

The petitions before the Supreme Court were filed by individuals whose names were not included in the revised electoral list during the SIR exercise.

According to a report by Bar and Bench – the petitioners sought to have their names restored to the West Bengal electoral roll while appeals against the deletion of their names are pending.

West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026

Assembly Elections in West Bengal are set to be held in two phases – on 23 April and 29 April – with vote counting scheduled for 4 May.

Supreme Court's order about allowing certain voters to cast their vote was passed in the West Bengal SIR matters – which was heard on Monday, 13 April. It was uploaded on Thursday afternoon.

What happens to pending appeals?

The apex court clarified that even if someone has filed an appeal against their exclusion from the voter's list, and the same is still pending – that person would not be 'entitled to vote.'

“However, it goes without saying that the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the Appellate Tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote,” the Supreme Court ruled.

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