Rate at which West Bengal tribunals restoring names of deleted electors proves genuine voters not allowed to vote: Prasenjit Bose

Highlighting the rate at which appellate tribunals were restoring the names of electors deleted during the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal, Congress leader and social activist Prasenjit Bose on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) said that the development proves how genuine voters were wrongfully deleted during SIR in West Bengal.

“Appellate Tribunals were constituted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court to hear appeals, where around 25 lakh appeals against deletions are reportedly pending. Till May 14, 2026, 6,581 appeals were disposed of by the tribunals, restoring the names of 4,043 electors (61%). This provides evidence of how genuine electors were wrongfully deleted under SIR through opaque, arbitrary and discriminatory processes,” Mr. Bose said in a statement.

Prasenjit Bose serves as the chairperson, SIR Committee of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee emphasised that with over 60% electors restored to voter list by the tribunals it is clear that genuine electors were deprived of their right to vote in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. 

The remarks came on the day when the Supreme Court upheld the SIR exercise in Bihar, saying just because the exercise does not adhere strictly to modalities, it cannot be invalidated. 

Referring to the situation in Bihar, Mr. Bose said that electors in Bihar whose names have been erroneously deleted on ASDD grounds have been provided the option to “assail the decision of the Commission by way of judicial review”.

“The judicial forum where the aggrieved electors can file their appeals/challenge need to be specified,” Mr. Bose said.

Over 27 lakh voters who were put under adjudication were excluded from West Bengal electoral rolls on April 7, weeks before the Assembly polls in the State. A quarter of such deletions were reported in two-Muslim dominated districts in the State. The Trinamool Congress as well as the other Opposition parties like the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) had opposed the SIR, particularly to the deletion of 27 lakh electors who have traced their legacy link to 2022 electoral rolls but were excluded from the electoral rolls on grounds of logical discrepancy. Many political observers link the SIR deletions to the massive victory of the BJP in 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls.