Shafaqna India: The Supreme Court has ordered that voters excluded during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal can be allowed to exercise their franchise in the ensuing Assembly elections if their appeals against deletion were allowed by appellate tribunals at least two days before the polling day.
Exercising its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the Election Commission to issue a supplementary revised electoral roll to include such voters cleared by appellate tribunals to enable them to cast their votes in the election.
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases — on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
“We, therefore, invoke our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and direct the EC that, wherever the appellate tribunals are able to decide the appeals by April 21 (for the first phase) or April 27 (for the second phase), as the case may be, such appellate orders shall be given effect to by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll, and all necessary consequences with respect to the right to vote shall follow,” the Bench ordered.
If an appeal was allowed by the appellate tribunal and a conclusive direction for inclusion or exclusion was issued, such directions shall be duly effectuated before the state of West Bengal proceeding to polling on April 23 or April 29, it said.
