Former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam Resigns from Election Tribunal

In a significant development, TS Sivagnanam, the former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, has resigned from the tribunal that was tasked with reviewing appeals related to the exclusion of names from electoral rolls. Appointed by the Election Commission, Sivagnanam played a crucial role in reinstating candidates like Motab Shaikh, who faced removal during the SIR process. His judicial career spans several decades, including his tenure as chief justice until his retirement in 2025. Read on to learn more about his contributions and the implications of his resignation.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 8, 2026, 15:52 IST

Resignation Announcement

Kolkata: On Friday, TS Sivagnanam, the former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, announced his resignation from the tribunal responsible for reviewing appeals related to the exclusion of names from the electoral rolls following the SIR exercise.

Justice Sivagnanam was among 19 former judges appointed by the Election Commission under the Supreme Court's directive to address appeals stemming from decisions made by judicial officers concerning the removal of names from the electoral rolls.

"I submitted my resignation letter to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court yesterday," stated Justice (retd) Sivagnanam.

One of his notable rulings involved the reinstatement of Motab Shaikh, a Congress candidate whose name had been removed during the SIR process; Shaikh later won the election from Farakka.

Having enrolled in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu in September 1986, he became an additional judge at the Madras High Court in March 2009 and was confirmed as a permanent judge in March 2011.

Justice (Retd) Sivagnanam was transferred to the Calcutta High Court in October 2021 and served as its chief justice from May 2023 until his retirement on September 15, 2025.