Nearly 19,000 voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar are awaiting tribunal decisions, while only about 3% of 3.831 million appeals across the state have been cleared.
Nearly 19,000 voters in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies may be unable to vote in the October 6 by-elections because their cases remain before appellate tribunals. The Hindu reported that 3.831 million appeals are pending across the state.
Rejinagar had received 12,452 appeals, of which four applicants had been added to the rolls by the time of the report. In Nandigram, 89 of 6,443 appellants had been included. No one in either constituency had been excluded through these decisions so far. Statewide, the tribunals had cleared about 126,000 cases, roughly 3% of the total.
The backlog stems from a special revision of voter rolls. Judicial officers reviewed about 6 million doubtful or pending cases, restoring roughly 3.277 million names and rejecting about 2.723 million applications. Approximately 2.2 million people appealed exclusions. A further 1.61 million bulk appeals challenged the inclusion of voters restored by judicial officers. The tribunals are therefore considering challenges both to exclusions and to inclusions.
Only 16 of the 19 tribunals established by India’s Election Commission in March remain operational. Three retired judges resigned, citing functional problems, and their positions remain vacant. A proposal to increase the number of tribunals to 42 has not advanced. The Supreme Court was due to hear the matter on October 5, but it was not listed.
The Commission’s additional door-to-door re-enrolment drive using Form 6 does not cover people whose cases are already pending before the tribunals. The slow process leaves thousands uncertain about their status as polling begins.