Election Commission Adds 139 Voters to Bengal Rolls After Tribunal Clearance Ahead of Polls The Election Commission (EC) of India has finalized the addition of 139 voters to the electoral rolls for the first phase of Bengal’s assembly elections, following clearance from appellate tribunals. This update was announced on Thursday, as the EC uploaded a list of voters whose names were cleared by the tribunals on Tuesday night. The decision came after a Supreme Court order mandated the review of voter eligibility, particularly for those whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The EC also released a list of applicants whose names were rejected by the tribunals, though no comprehensive public list of all cleared or rejected cases was provided. Sources within the poll panel indicated that approximately 650 cases were resolved during the adjudication process. The 139 voters whose names were reinstated are spread across 152 Assembly constituencies where voting will take place on April 24. The EC plans to upload another list of eligible voters once tribunals finalize their decisions on April 27. The SIR process, initiated earlier this year, involved the adjudication of 60.06 lakh voters. Over 705 judicial officers were deployed to scrutinize documents, resulting in the deletion of 27 lakh names from the electoral rolls and the addition of over 32 lakh names. Those whose names were deleted were granted the right to appeal before 19 tribunals established by the Calcutta High Court under Supreme Court directives.#assembly_elections #supreme_court #election_commission #special_intensive_revision #calcutta_high_court
BLOs ‘out of reach’, voters struggle with SIR mapping in Nagpur Voters in several parts of Nagpur are facing significant challenges in completing voter mapping under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, with allegations that local Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have become largely unresponsive. Residents from areas such as Mankapur, Sadiqabad Colony, Jafar Nagar, and Jai Hind Nagar have reported repeated failures to contact BLOs, disrupting essential voter services and raising concerns about potential exclusion from electoral rolls. A written complaint dated March 28 highlighted the issue, with local resident Zubin Khan stating that their BLO is "consistently not responding to telephonic calls," leaving voters unable to complete the mandatory mapping process. Similar concerns were raised by Mohammed Fazlul Rahman, who noted that the BLO’s unavailability has caused difficulties for voters, with multiple complaints already lodged with authorities, including the local corporator. Javed Khan, Secretary of Tauheed Masjid in Jai Hind Nagar, reportedly escalated the matter to various officials. The issue has sparked wider concern among citizens, with former director of Epigraphy, GS Khawaja, describing the SIR process as "mind-boggling." He pointed out the complexity of matching voter records from older electoral rolls with updated lists, stating that "finding names in the 2002 list and matching them with the 2025 list is itself a headache. Locating the BLO is another problem." Civil society groups have stepped up efforts to support residents. Volunteers from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (West) have been assisting voters at a help centre set up at Eidgah, Jafar Nagar.#special_intensive_revision #booth_level_officers #zubin_khan #javed_khan #jamaat_e_islamihind_west
Gadchiroli leads voter mapping drive, Nagpur lags far behind Gadchiroli has emerged as the top-performing district in Maharashtra’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, achieving an impressive 82.16% voter mapping as of March 29. This performance places the tribal district at the forefront of the state’s efforts to update voter data, significantly outpacing the state average of 49.22%. Districts like Hingoli (81.92%), Buldhana (77.32%), Parbhani (73.58%), and Nanded (73.57%) also surpassed the 70% threshold, highlighting a stark contrast with Nagpur’s sluggish progress. Nagpur, meanwhile, ranks among the lowest performers, with only 28.88% voter mapping completed, placing it 33rd out of 36 districts. This lag is particularly pronounced when compared to state averages across key indicators. Nagpur’s BLO verification rate stands at 28.82%, far below the state’s 48.98%, while self-marking by electors is just 18.06%, nearly half of the state average of 32.62%. Progeny marking, which identifies new voters, remains critically low at 0.99%, compared to the state’s 5.29%. The disparity in performance mirrors a broader trend in urban Maharashtra, where districts such as Mumbai Suburban (24.41%), Pune (25.78%), and Thane (27.94%) also struggle to meet the state’s benchmarks. Officials note that Nagpur has achieved high verification consistency, with nearly all mapped electors verified by Booth Level Officers. However, the low participation rates suggest challenges in public engagement and operational efficiency. The state’s voter mapping initiative underscores the growing divide between rural and urban areas in terms of electoral data accuracy. While districts like Gadchiroli demonstrate robust progress, Nagpur’s underperformance highlights systemic issues in urban voter registration.#nagpur #maharashtra #special_intensive_revision #gadchiroli #booth_level_officers
INDIA bloc MPs seek removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Parliament A notice was submitted by members of the INDIA bloc in the Indian Parliament on March 13, 2026, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. This marks the first instance in parliamentary history where such a notice has been filed. The motion was presented in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, with 130 MPs in the lower house and 63 in the upper house signing the petition. The notice outlines seven allegations against Kumar, including accusations of partisan behavior, discriminatory conduct in his role, and deliberate obstruction of investigations into electoral fraud. It also claims he has enabled mass disenfranchisement, with opposition parties alleging that Kumar has supported the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in various capacities. Specifically, they point to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which they argue is being used to benefit the BJP at the national level. Under Article 324(5) of the Indian Constitution, the CEC can only be removed in the same manner as a Supreme Court judge, with the conditions of his service not being altered to his disadvantage after appointment. The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, further specifies that if notices for a motion are submitted on the same day in both parliamentary houses, no committee will be formed unless the motion is accepted in both. Once approved, a joint committee will be established by the speaker of the Lok Sabha and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha to address the matter. The submission of the notice has sparked debate about the independence of the Election Commission and the role of parliamentary oversight in electoral governance.#bharatiya_janata_party #india_bloc #cec_gyanesh_kumar #special_intensive_revision #parliament_budget_session
