Tribunals to also hear Form 7 appeals for exclusion of names

Kolkata: The EC-notified appellate tribunals in Bengal, for which 19 former HC judges have been selected, will hear appeals against orders passed by judicial officers, not only on inclusion but also exclusion of voters.An official said while the appellate tribunals will hear appeals against voter-list exclusions, the SIR can also become a route through which certain voters are effectively excluded from the electoral roll. If voters' claims are rejected after adjudication, they can move to the tribunals. The tribunals are not merely going to rectify exclusions but can adjudicate the very entitlement to be on the list and adverse decisions from the tribunals can solidify removals from the final electoral roll. Even voters whose names are already on the rolls can be challenged if someone has doubts and lodges a complaint with the tribunal — a process similar to using Form 7 to exclude names, a senior official said. He added that voters in any constituency can lodge complaints if they have knowledge of "outsiders" in their assembly constituency who are also listed elsewhere. These voters, however, must substantiate their claims with evidence, the official said. The EC can also move the tribunal if individuals have been erroneously enrolled as voters, the official stated.The tribunals will review individual claims and objections filed by persons whose names were deleted during the SIR process. "If the tribunal is satisfied that the applicant does not meet the legal criteria — such as authenticity of progeny-linkage, age, residence, or other documentary requirements — it can confirm or even order fresh exclusions," the official said.Furthermore, a judicial exclusion will serve as a final screening that can permanently keep affected individuals off the voters' list, the official added.