Bengal Phase 2 polls: ECI adds 1,468 names, drops six via Appellate Tribunals
Synopsis
Just 24 hours before West Bengal's second phase Assembly polls, the ECI's Appellate Tribunals cleared only 1,468 of 27 lakh disputed voter names — and struck off six previously approved ones. The trickle of reinstatements against the scale of exclusions raises pointed questions about electoral due process in India's most watched state election.
Key Takeaways
The ECI published the second supplementary Appellate Tribunal voter list on 28 April , one day before West Bengal's Phase 2 polls .
Only 1,468 names were cleared; six names previously approved by judicial officers were rejected by the Appellate Tribunals.
The first supplementary list, published on 22 April , had cleared just 136 names and deleted two .
Of over 60 lakh names referred for judicial adjudication, 27 lakh were found excludable and sent to Appellate Tribunals.
The Supreme Court directed that names cleared even a day before polling must be allowed to vote.
142 Assembly constituencies across six districts and Kolkata vote on 29 April ; results on 4 May .
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, 28 April published the second supplementary list of voters in West Bengal, cleared through the Appellate Tribunals adjudicating 27 lakh excludable cases — just one day before the second phase of the state's two-phase Assembly elections. Of the cases reviewed, only 1,468 names were cleared for inclusion, while six names previously approved by judicial officers were rejected by the Appellate Tribunals.
Key Developments in the Voter List Process
The second supplementary list follows the first, which was published on 22 April — a day before the first phase of West Bengal polls on 23 April. That earlier list had cleared only 136 names and deleted two. The latest additions bring the cumulative total of names reinstated through the Appellate Tribunal process to 1,604, even as the broader dispute over voter eligibility continues to cast a shadow over the election cycle.
Supreme Court Directions and Voter Rights
As per directions issued by the Supreme Court, the 1,468 voters whose names were cleared in the second supplementary list will be eligible to cast their votes in the second phase on Wednesday, 29 April. The apex court had earlier ordered that names cleared by the Appellate Tribunals, even a day before polling, must be permitted to vote — a ruling that has kept the reinstatement process active right up to the eve of each polling day.
Background: The 60 Lakh Referrals and Judicial Adjudication
After the final voters list in West Bengal was published on 28 February this year, a little over 60 lakh names were referred for judicial adjudication. The process was conducted by as many as 732 judicial officers, including 100 each from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha. At the conclusion of that process, 27 lakh names — nearly half of those referred — were found excludable and subsequently referred to the Appellate Tribunals, as directed by the Supreme Court.
What Happens on Polling Day
A total of 142 Assembly constituencies spread across six districts and the state capital Kolkata are scheduled to go to polls on Wednesday, 29 April. The results for both phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections are set to be declared on 4 May. The last-minute voter list revisions have drawn attention to the scale of the electoral verification exercise — one of the most extensive judicial adjudication processes seen in Indian election history — and raised questions about the pace and completeness of reinstatements ahead of polling.
Point of View
604 names in total — across two supplementary lists — against a backdrop of 27 lakh excludable cases is a ratio that demands scrutiny. The Appellate Tribunal process, however court-mandated, has effectively resolved a fraction of the disputed cases before polling closed. Whether this constitutes adequate electoral due process, or whether thousands of legitimate voters were effectively disenfranchised through procedural delay, is a question that will outlast the vote count on 4 May. The scale of the original 60-lakh referral itself warrants a post-election audit of how voter rolls in West Bengal reached this level of contestation.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the second supplementary list published by ECI for West Bengal polls?
It is a list of 1,468 voter names cleared by the Appellate Tribunals from the pool of 27 lakh excludable cases, published on 28 April 2025 — one day before the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections. Six names previously approved by judicial officers were also rejected in this list.
Who can vote using the second supplementary list in West Bengal Phase 2?
The 1,468 voters whose names were cleared in the second supplementary list are eligible to cast their votes in the second phase on 29 April, as per Supreme Court directions that reinstatements must be honoured even on the eve of polling.
How many names were excluded in West Bengal's voter list adjudication process?
Of over 60 lakh names referred for judicial adjudication after the final voters list was published on 28 February, approximately 27 lakh were found excludable. These were subsequently referred to Appellate Tribunals as directed by the Supreme Court.
Which constituencies are voting in West Bengal Phase 2?
A total of 142 Assembly constituencies across six districts and the state capital Kolkata are going to polls on 29 April. Results for both phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections will be declared on 4 May.
What did the first supplementary Appellate Tribunal list contain?
The first supplementary list, published on 22 April — a day before the Phase 1 polls on 23 April — cleared only 136 names and deleted two that had been approved during the judicial adjudication process.
