Kolkata, 21 March (H.S.): The Election Commission of India has constituted 19 Appellate Tribunals in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process. These tribunals will hear appeals related to disputes over inclusion and deletion of names during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to an official notification, the decision follows a March 10, 2026 order of the Supreme Court of India and recommendations made by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

Out of the 19 tribunals, 18 will be headed by retired High Court judges, while one tribunal will be chaired by a former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

Former Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam has been assigned responsibility for cases relating to the Kolkata region. The tribunal under his leadership will cover electoral districts including Kolkata South, Kolkata North, and North 24 Parganas.

The notification stated that appeals can be filed after the publication of the supplementary electoral rolls by those aggrieved by decisions taken by judicial officers regarding inclusion or deletion of voter names.

Appeals can be submitted through two modes — online through the Commission’s digital platform or offline by submitting applications at the offices of the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Officer, or other designated authorities, which will later be uploaded to the digital system.

The Commission clarified that the tribunals will start functioning with immediate effect and will cease to exist automatically after disposal of all appeals from the respective districts.

Legal experts believe that disputes relating to electoral rolls directly affect the credibility of elections, particularly in a politically sensitive state like West Bengal. They say the move is expected to strengthen voter confidence and enhance the credibility of the electoral process.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh