Supreme Court Sets Deadline for West Bengal Electoral Roll Verification

Supreme Court's Directive on Electoral Roll Verification

New Delhi: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court instructed electoral officials in West Bengal to ensure that all outstanding verification documents are submitted by 5 p.m. on February 26 to the judicial officers managing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, specified that a Madhyamik (Class 10) admit card could be accepted alongside the pass certificate for verification.

This clarification was part of a broader order issued on Tuesday, following a request from senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The court mandated that all documents referenced in paragraph 3(iii) of the February 24 order, which were received by February 14 but not yet uploaded, must be promptly submitted to the presiding judicial officers.

The CJI-led bench stated, "In continuation of the order dated 24.02.2026, it is further clarified/directed that all the documents mentioned in para 3(iii) of the order dated 24.02.2026, which were not uploaded so far and which were received on or before 14.02.2026, shall be submitted/handed over to the Presiding Judicial Officers by the concerned EROs/AEROs by tomorrow, i.e., 26.02.2026, up to 5.00 P.M."

The order also clarified the types of documents that can be used for verifying voters categorized under "logical discrepancy/unmapped category," stating that the Madhyamik (Class-10) Admit Card may be used alongside the Madhyamik Pass Certificate to confirm the candidate's date of birth and parentage.

These latest instructions follow the Supreme Court's invocation of its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, allowing the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to appoint additional judicial officers, including Civil Judges (Senior Division) and Civil Judges (Junior Division) with a minimum of three years’ experience, to expedite the resolution of nearly 50 lakh claims and objections from the SIR process.

Additionally, the Supreme Court permitted the Calcutta High Court to request assistance from the High Courts of Jharkhand and Orissa, clarifying that while the deadline for publishing the final electoral roll is February 28, the ECI may issue supplementary lists if all verifications are not completed by that date.

It was also stated that voters included in any subsequent supplementary lists "shall be deemed to have been part of the final list published on 28.02.2026."