New Delhi: As many as 65 West Bengal poll officials who are on election duty in the state moved the Supreme Court over the deletion of their names from the voters’ list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, however, refused to entertain the pleas filed by 65 officials and several other people and asked them to approach the Appellate Tribunals set up to adjudicate such grievances. Names of roughly 27.1 lakh voters have been dropped from the electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Senior Advocate MR Shamshad, appearing for the petitioners, told the apex court, “These are 65 petitioners who are on election duty… their duty orders mention EPIC (voter ID) numbers. But now those numbers have been deleted.”
“Now the persons conducting this election cannot vote! This is arbitrary… many were not given reasons,” he said. The advocate further said what was happening was ironical.
“Make these arguments before the appellate tribunal…” Chief Justice Surya Kant said as the bench refused to entertain the petitioners’ plea against their exclusion from the rolls.
“Appropriate orders will be passed by the tribunal… in this election, yes, perhaps they can’t vote. But the more valuable right to remain on the rolls shall be preserved,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi said.
Shamshad said the petitioners had already filed their appeals with the Tribunals on April 5, but those were yet to be taken up.
The voter list revision exercise which first began in Bihar last year and was later extended to Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala this year, ahead of polls, has triggered fear among voters with the opposition accusing the Election Commission and the BJP of colluding to disenfranchise lakhs of voters.
The first phase of the West Bengal polls was held on April 23. The state recorded its highest-ever turnout, with 92.88 per cent voting in 152 of the 294 seats, according to the Election Commission.