Relief for Bengal voters deleted in SIR process, Mamata Banerjee responds

The Supreme Court has ruled that voters in West Bengal whose names were deleted during judicial adjudication can still cast their votes if cleared by Appellate Tribunals up to 48 hours before polling. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the verdict, calling it a victory for democracy and urging party workers to assist voters in obtaining slips.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared elated over Thursday’s verdict by the Supreme Court, which allowed voters in the state whose names were deleted in the judicial adjudication process to vote if their names are cleared by the Appellate Tribunals just 48 hours before the polling days for the two phases of West Bengal assembly polls later this month.​

This means that voters in the first phase of polling on April 23, whose names were deleted, would be able to vote if their names are included following orders of Appellate Tribunals till April 21.​

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Similarly, voters in the second phase of polling on April 29, whose names were deleted, would be able to vote if their names are included following orders from Appellate Tribunals till April 27.​

“Congratulations to everyone. I was saying from the beginning that the victory will be ours. I asked voters whose names were deleted to be patient. I am very happy and proud of the country’s judicial system. Remember, it was I who approached the Supreme Court in the matter. So today, no one is happier than me,” the Chief Minister told media persons at Cooch Behar district, where she addressed three campaign rallies throughout the day.​

At the same time, she instructed Trinamool Congress workers to help those persons whose names were included at the last moment by the Appellate Tribunals to obtain their voting slips so they could cast their votes.​

“The party workers will have to see to it that voter slips are prepared for those whose names will be settled by the Appellate Tribunals. The voters’ slips should definitely reach all of them before the elections,” the Chief Minister said.​

A little over 60 lakh names identified as “logical discrepancy” cases were referred for judicial adjudication, out of which 27 lakh names were found excludable. Their cases will now be settled at the 19 Appellate Tribunals constituted for that purpose.​