West Bengal Voter List Deletions and Restorations

Why in news?

A significant percentage of deleted voter names are being restored by appellate tribunals in West Bengal, raising concerns about wrongful deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Key points

1. 1Appellate tribunals in West Bengal are restoring a high percentage (61%) of deleted voter names.
2. 2This indicates that genuine voters may have been wrongfully deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
3. 3Over 25 lakh appeals against deletions are reportedly pending.
4. 4Prasenjit Bose highlighted that this deprives genuine electors of their voting rights.
5. 5The Supreme Court recently upheld the SIR exercise in Bihar, though noting procedural variations.

Background & context

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process undertaken by the Election Commission of India to update electoral rolls. Concerns about fairness and transparency in such exercises are common, especially in politically sensitive regions. Appellate tribunals are set up to address grievances related to voter registration and deletion.