Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 25: The Supreme Court on Friday directed 65 election officials from West Bengal to approach the appellate tribunal for relief over deletion of their names from electoral rolls, indicating they would be unable to cast their votes in the ongoing election cycle.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked the petitioners to raise their grievances before the appropriate legal forum, observing that the tribunal could pass suitable orders in the matter.

The petitioners had moved the apex court alleging their names were removed during the Election Commission’s large-scale voter roll revision, despite many of them being assigned election duty.

Senior advocate M R Shamshad, appearing for the petitioners, argued the situation was arbitrary as officials tasked with conducting elections were themselves being denied the right to vote.

“Now the persons conducting this election cannot vote,” he submitted, while raising concerns over alleged deletions without notice or explanation.

The bench, however, said the matter should be examined by the appellate tribunal. “Make these arguments before the appellate tribunal… appropriate orders will be passed by the tribunal,” the court observed.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi reportedly indicated that while immediate participation in the current polling phase may not be possible, the broader issue of restoration of electoral rights remained central.

The petition has drawn attention to wider concerns surrounding voter roll revisions in the state, with claims that nearly 90.8 lakh names have been removed and around 27.1 lakh individuals remain in uncertainty over their electoral status.

The matter surfaced after the first phase of polling in West Bengal recorded 92.8 per cent turnout, even as some experts questioned whether large-scale deletions from voter rolls may have impacted turnout calculations.