Lakhs to remain out of voters’ list as tribunal route turns impractical

Kolkata: With just days left before electoral rolls are frozen for the 2026 Assembly elections, lakhs of voters in West Bengal risk losing their franchise as the tribunal mechanism—meant to be their last recourse—remains effectively inaccessible.

Despite being projected as the final avenue for those deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), tribunals have either remained non-functional or started too late to handle the massive caseload. Reports indicate that over 23 lakh voters are still dependent on tribunal adjudication, even as the deadline looms.

As the first phase of the election is scheduled to be held on April 23, the last date for filing nominations is the 6th of this month. As per election rules, voters can be added to the rolls of a particular constituency only until the date of nomination filing. Therefore, the voter list for the first phase is set to be frozen on Monday around 3 pm. According to Election Commission data, around 23.4 lakh people who lost their voting rights are eligible to approach appellate tribunals. However, the tribunals, yet to be fully functional, have practically left the fate of lakhs of voters in limbo.

On the ground, confusion and procedural hurdles have further compounded the crisis. In Kolkata, apart from unfinished tribunal infrastructure, voters have been seen crowding government offices to file appeals, only to be turned away for missing documents or redirected to online processes, leaving many stranded between opaque systems and shrinking timelines.

“I came to file my appeal but was told to bring documents I had already submitted earlier. Now they are asking me to return again,” said Raju Sahu, a Bhowanipore resident, reflecting the frustration among applicants.

For many, the uncertainty is existential. “I have been voting since 1988, yet now my citizenship is being questioned and my voting right hangs in balance,” said Imran Zaki from Bowbazar.

With elections scheduled later this month, the tribunal process—intended as a safeguard—now risks becoming a mere formality, leaving lakhs effectively disenfranchised before they can even be heard.