Kolkata, March 15 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially revealed a two-phase voting timetable for the West Bengal Assembly elections set to take place in 2026, with polling scheduled for April 23 and April 29. This announcement comes amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the status of over 42 lakh voters who have been referred for judicial evaluation after being categorized under the 'logical discrepancy' classification.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal reported that prior to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls initiated last November, the total electorate stood at 7,66,37,529.

However, following the publication of the final voters' list on February 28, which excluded those pending judicial review, the number of voters was reduced to 6,44,52,609.

Among these electors, approximately 3.28 crore are male, about 3.16 crore are female, with slightly over 1,000 categorized as 'others'.

Initially, over 60 lakh voters were called for judicial adjudication, and by Saturday night, the process had been concluded for nearly 18 lakh voters, leaving the status of more than 42 lakh still unresolved.

Currently, 732 judicial officers, including 100 from neighboring Odisha and Jharkhand, are diligently working to expedite this adjudication.

When questioned about the voters awaiting adjudication, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar affirmed that the judicial officers are acting swiftly, adhering to the Supreme Court's directives. He added, “Supplementary lists are being issued, and names validated by the judicial adjudicators will be added to these lists,” indicating that the first supplementary list could be released within the week.

The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul, is overseeing the adjudication progress closely on a daily basis.

Sources from the CEO’s office have indicated that in districts like Bankura and Purulia, the review process has been finalized, allowing for the completion of the final voter list in those areas.

Nevertheless, substantial work is still needed in regions such as Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Malda, where the number of names still under consideration is significantly higher.

In response to clashes between supporters of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that occurred on Saturday during the Prime Minister's visit, the CEC noted that with the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct following the announcement of polling dates, the Commission would implement strict measures against such incidents.