Kolkata, 19 February (H.S.) : With just days remaining before the February 21 deadline, the verification of voter documents submitted during claims and objections hearings in West Bengal is facing fresh challenges, as nearly 20 lakh documents are still awaiting re-verification by District Magistrates, who also serve as District Electoral Officers (DEOs).

Officials from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that the majority of the pending cases fall under “logical discrepancies.” Micro-observers flagged inconsistencies during the ongoing verification process, noting that several submissions did not match the 13 identity documents recognized by the Election Commission of India. These cases have been sent back to the concerned DEOs for another round of verification. The Commission has instructed officers to complete the process promptly and submit their reports.

Delays have also been caused as nearly 1.14 lakh documents submitted during the hearing process are yet to be uploaded into the system, preventing the verification of these applications from even beginning. As a result, meeting the February 21 deadline now appears uncertain. Sources indicate that the timeline for scrutiny may be extended, potentially delaying the publication of the final electoral roll.

The final voter list is currently scheduled for release on February 28, after the earlier date of February 14 was revised. Meanwhile, a full bench of the Election Commission of India is set to visit West Bengal on March 1 for a two-day review following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Shortly after this visit, the Commission is expected to announce the polling schedule for the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.

Sources said the Commission is considering holding the elections in fewer phases than in previous polls. While the CEO’s office has suggested a single-phase election, the final decision will rest with the Election Commission.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh