KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a notification to form separate appellate tribunals for hearing of appeals against orders passed by the designated judicial officers in respect of inclusions or exclusions of prospective electors in the voters’ list of post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal where assembly elections are scheduled on April 23 and 29 respectively.
The ECI has formed 19 appellate tribunals for all electoral districts across the state.
According to the notification, “Consequent upon the publication of the supplementary electoral roll, appellant may file appeals against the orders passed by the designated Judicial Officers in accordance with the notification.”
The appeal may be filled either: i. Online, through the ECI net platform at https://ecinet.eci.gov.in or ii. Physically, at the office of the DM/SDM/SDO, who shall ensure the digitisation and uploading of the appeal on the ECI NET platform at the earliest, the notification states.
More than 60 lakh voters belonging to the logical discrepancies category have been marked as ‘under adjudication’ status and are awaiting clearance of the judicial officers to retain their voting rights in the state.
More than 22 lakh of these adjudicated voters have been disposed of so far by the judicial officers so far.
The outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday claimed around 10 lakh out of the 22 lakh voters have been rejected.
The national poll body has directed the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal to implement the notification with immediate effect.
The Supreme Court, on 10 March, had directed the Commission to issue a notification in consultation with the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court notifying former Chief Justices and judges who are willing to accept an assignment to the Appellate Tribunals immediately.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant clarified that as many judges as may be required be appointed as the state goes to the polls soon amid growing concerns that the SIR exercise is not being completed in time, and the Calcutta HC is being burdened.