Bengal election 2026: Judicial scrutiny divides voters into haves and have-nots

KOLKATA: Judicial scrutiny has paved the way for another set of haves and have-nots among about 60 lakh electors. The poll dates were announced on Sunday, but these electors placed under adjudication are still uncertain whether they will be able to exercise the franchise and get a seal of approval for their voting rights.

Under EC rules, the electoral list can be published till the last date of filing nominations. As elections in Bengal are going to be held in 2 phases, the supplementary list will have to be published before the last date of filing nominations of the respective phase, and for the respective assembly constituencies that will go to poll in that phase.

In Bengal, several high-profile electors, including World Cup-winning wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, footballer Mehtab Hossain, and state ministers Shashi Panja and Ghulam Rabbani, have been marked under adjudication.

"It is unfortunate that despite my name featuring on the 2002 electoral roll, I was marked under adjudication. The poll dates have been announced and I don't know any specific date when the supplementary list will be published. I am waiting and don't know how long this wait will linger," rued footballer Mehtab Hossain.

Scott Lane resident Rishav Ganguly is now on tenterhooks. "I don't know when the supplementary list will be published. Even if it is published, I cannot be sure that my name will be there. My name was placed under judicial scrutiny even though I submitted an affidavit from court to resolve the SIR discrepancy related to surname mismatch," he said.

Judicial officers disposed of about 15 lakh cases out of the roughly 60 lakh pending cases marked as under adjudication till Friday. A senior EC official on Sunday said that a supplementary list might be published in the next 3 to 4 days. "The EC gave a few proposals and, once the Calcutta High Court approves them, the software will be developed. The supplementary lists will then be published," he added.

According to the latest order of the apex court, the orders passed by the judicial officers in judicial scrutiny cases will not be subject to appeal before any executive/administrative officer. The SC on March 10 ordered that the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice may request some former Chief Justices and former judges of the HC —preferably from the Calcutta High Court or neighbouring states — to be notified as the appellate tribunal/tribunals to hear such appeals.

According to EC sources, a tribunal will be set up in each district to hear and dispose of appeals from the persons whose names will not be included in the supplementary lists. However, there is still no clarity on when these tribunals will be set up.

According to sources, around 40% of the 15 lakh cases, which judicial officers checked so far, failed to pass the scrutiny.