West Bengal Elections: ECI Releases First Supplementary Judicial Adjudication List
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Kolkata, March 24 (NationPress) The initial supplementary list for the judicial review of voters identified under the “logical discrepancy category” was released precisely at midnight following an extended wait. This list first appeared online on the official website of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at midnight, and shortly thereafter, it was accessible on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.
On Monday evening, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, updated the media, stating that the list would likely be available on the central server of the ECI between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on that day. "According to the dashboard, the judicial adjudication process has been concluded for 29 lakh cases. However, I cannot confirm how many names will ultimately be verified through the e-signatures of the judicial officers involved. As of now, I cannot specify how many names have been deemed excludable," the CEO mentioned on Monday evening.
Ultimately, the list was published at midnight, with the ECI asserting that it had adhered to the publication deadline. However, detailed statistics regarding the percentage of voters whose judicial adjudication has been finalized and identified as excludable are still pending, with the Commission expected to release this information later on Tuesday.
The printed version of the list has not yet been made available. Reports indicate that it will be dispatched to the offices of the district magistrate and the respective district electoral officers on Tuesday.
The finalized list will be printed there and subsequently displayed at election booths and in the respective areas.
To recall, the final voters’ list for West Bengal, excluding around 60 lakh names referred for judicial adjudication, was published on February 28. According to Supreme Court directives, supplementary lists will be periodically issued based on the progress of judicial adjudication, with the first one released at midnight on Monday.
Individuals whose names are found to be excludable during the judicial adjudication process will have the opportunity to appeal to the 19 Appellate Tribunals established for this purpose.
The two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for April 23 and April 29, with polling for 152 Assembly seats in the first phase and 142 constituencies in the second phase.