The Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that over 37 lakh electoral roll appeals remain unresolved in West Bengal. With only 1.02 lakh cases processed out of 38.20 lakh filed, the Supreme Court is now examining the commission's strategy to address this massive backlog. The issue highlights concerns over electoral integrity and administrative delays following recent voter roll revisions.
The Election Commission of India has submitted data to the Supreme Court confirming a significant backlog of electoral appeals in West Bengal. According to the filing, out of 38,20,683 total objections filed regarding voter roll revisions, 37,18,452 appeals remain unresolved. Only 1,02,231 cases have been processed so far, drawing judicial attention to the slow pace of grievance redressal.
The administrative delay follows the Special Intensive Revision carried out in the state. To handle the high volume of disputes involving electoral deletions and inclusions, authorities had previously established 19 dedicated tribunals. These panels were staffed by retired high court judges and judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. However, the current data suggests that the mechanism for handling these challenges has been insufficient to manage the inflow of cases.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition led by Congress committee chairperson Prasenjit Bose, who has raised concerns over the alleged irregular exclusion of approximately 58 lakh electors. A primary point of contention is the discrepancy between the volume of inclusion applications filed between December 2025 and August 2026 and the final electoral roll published in February 2026. The legal challenge seeks to ensure the integrity of the voter base before upcoming electoral cycles.
Following the disclosure of the pending case numbers, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to provide a clear strategy for streamlining these hearings. The court is evaluating whether the current judicial resources are adequate or if additional measures are required to clear the remaining millions of appeals. Future updates from the Supreme Court will focus on the commission’s roadmap for time-bound resolution and the subsequent impact on electoral transparency in the state.