Kolkata, 22 April (H.S.) : Ahead of the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission on Wednesday released a booth-wise list of voters whose cases were decided by tribunals and who have been permitted to participate in the polling process, a senior official said.

The Election Commission has published two separate lists on its official website. The first contains the names of voters who have been added to the electoral roll following tribunal orders, while the second includes those whose names remain excluded. However, the total number of additions and deletions has not yet been made public.

An official said the consolidated figures were expected to be available by the evening. Voters can check their status by selecting their Assembly constituency and polling station number.

No names have been mentioned for polling stations where no tribunal decision has been delivered. Those who had approached tribunals after their names were removed from the electoral roll can also verify their status through their identification numbers.

Voters whose names have been included in the updated list will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling scheduled for Thursday. Their names had earlier been deleted during the special intensive revision process, following which they were given the option to approach designated tribunals constituted under Supreme Court directions.

Invoking its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court had ordered that voters declared eligible by tribunals up to two days before polling would be allowed to vote. In compliance with that order, the Commission had been directed to publish the list by April 21. Voting in the first phase will be held for 152 Assembly seats.

Officials said a consolidated electoral roll incorporating the newly added voters would be released in the evening and would be used for the first phase of polling.

The second phase of polling for 142 Assembly seats is scheduled for April 29. Another list of eligible voters will be issued on April 27 ahead of that phase.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh