Kolkata, 01 March (H.S.) :
The Election Commission on Saturday evening published West Bengal’s final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), revealing that more than 6 million voters have been placed in the “under adjudication” category, with their voting rights temporarily suspended pending judicial scrutiny.
According to the updated data, 6,006,675 electors have been marked as “under adjudication,” meaning their citizenship status and the validity of their documents are currently subject to legal examination. While their names remain recorded in official documentation, they will not be eligible to vote until a final decision is delivered.
As per directions of the Supreme Court of India, a judicial bench of the Calcutta High Court is overseeing the adjudication process. Hearings are ongoing, and officials have indicated that efforts are being made to complete the scrutiny before the announcement of the next election schedule in the state.
------
Border Districts Account for Highest Share
A district-wise analysis of the figures highlights a clear geographical pattern: the highest concentration of voters under scrutiny is in districts bordering Bangladesh.
Murshidabad tops the list, with 1,101,145 electors categorized as under adjudication nearly 18 percent of the state’s total. The district shares a long international boundary and has historically been at the center of political debate over alleged illegal infiltration and voter roll irregularities.
Malda follows with 828,127 voters under scrutiny. In proportional terms, officials suggest that the scale of flagged cases in Malda is particularly significant relative to its population size.
In North 24 Parganas, 591,252 names have been placed on hold, while South 24 Parganas records over 522,000 voters in the same category. Combined, these four districts — all of which share proximity to the international border — account for nearly half of the total voters currently under adjudication.
The concentration of cases in these areas underscores the administrative and verification challenges faced by authorities in border regions, where concerns over cross-border movement and documentation authenticity have frequently surfaced in political discourse.
-----
Interior Districts Show Minimal Impact
In contrast, districts located away from the international border show significantly lower numbers. Jhargram has only 6,682 voters under adjudication, while the hill district of Kalimpong reports 6,790 such cases.
The stark disparity between border and interior districts highlights the uneven geographic distribution of the flagged entries.
-----
Judicial Scrutiny Underway
Officials said that hundreds of judicial officers have been deployed to examine documentation linked to the 6 million-plus voters. Until the review is completed and clearance is granted, the affected individuals will remain barred from participating in the electoral process.
The final determination of their status will depend on the outcome of the ongoing judicial proceedings, which authorities aim to conclude ahead of the next electoral announcement.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
