SC suggests TMC file separate pleas on Bengal electoral roll grievances

The Supreme Court suggested the AITC file separate applications to raise grievances about the ECI's electoral roll revision. The court will also seek a report from the Calcutta HC on pending appeals from claimants seeking inclusion in voter rolls.

The Supreme Court on Monday suggested to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) that it may file separate applications raising grievances regarding the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the party claims had an impact on the Assembly election results. During the hearing, the Court also observed that concerning pending appeals filed by claimants seeking inclusion in voter rolls, it would seek a report from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court and examine how the issue could be resolved expeditiously.

Arguments on Electoral Roll Revision

Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the Trinamool Congress, submitted that voter deletions carried out during the SIR exercise had materially affected election results. He pointed out that in one constituency, the Trinamool Congress had lost by a margin of 862 votes while nearly 5,000 appeals seeking inclusion in the voter list remained pending. Counsel appearing for the Election Commission of India responded that any alleged lapses in the SIR process could be answered by the ECI and that grievances relating to election results would have to be raised through election petitions. Banerjee, however, submitted that the ECI's SIR exercise itself would form a ground in such election petitions.

In the West Bengal Assembly Elections, the BJP secured 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the TMC won 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.

Previous Court Directive on Appeals

Earlier on April 24, the Supreme Court directed Appellate Tribunals to grant out-of-turn hearings to cases of persons excluded from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, particularly in matters where urgency is demonstrated by the appellants.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant also granted liberty to excluded persons to approach the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court with their grievance. "We grant liberty to the petitioners and other stakeholders to approach the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on the administrative side. Similarly, if the matters require judicial intervention, they may approach the Chief Justice of the High Court. As regards those names who have been excluded in SIR and those who have filed appeals before the Appellate Tribunal, the Tribunal may grant them out-of-turn hearing of appeals, especially to appellants who can prove urgency", the Court noted.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing the West Bengal government, submitted that only 136 appeals have been disposed of out of nearly 27 lakh cases and said that the State was expecting faster disposal of appeals. (ANI)

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