West Bengal Election: Judicial Oversight Intensifies for Voter Roll Revision

Kolkata, India – February 22, 2026 – Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul convened a crucial meeting on Sunday with top state officials and representatives from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to oversee the appointment of judicial officers tasked with adjudicating disputed voter claims ahead of the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections. This move follows a Supreme Court directive aimed at ensuring a transparent and efficient revision of the electoral rolls.

Supreme Court Mandate and Judicial Appointments

The Supreme Court has empowered Chief Justice Paul to assign judicial officers to address claims categorized as “logical discrepancies.” Approximately 100 serving and retired judges and additional judges from various district courts were appointed on Sunday, with the remaining appointments scheduled for Tuesday. The goal is to have an equal number of judicial officers – 294 – corresponding to the number of assembly constituencies in West Bengal, to handle an estimated 4.5 million disputed claims .

Key Attendees and Collaborative Efforts

The meeting included key figures such as State Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Director General of Police Peeyush Pandey, Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar, and the ECI’s Special Election Observer Subrata Gupta . This collaborative effort underscores the importance of coordinated action between the judiciary, state administration, and election authorities.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Process

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll was initiated on November 4, 2025. The draft electoral roll, published on December 16, 2025, resulted in approximately 5.8 million names being removed, even as another 15 million voters were flagged for verification due to discrepancies in their enumeration forms or inability to be mapped to the 2002 electoral roll .

District-Level Monitoring Committees

In a related development, the Calcutta High Court has established three-member committees in each district of West Bengal to monitor the verification of documents related to the SIR. These committees will comprise a district judge, district magistrate, and superintendent of police . Approximately 250 judicial officers have been assigned to begin scrutiny of the SIR documents starting Monday.

Ensuring Timely Completion

Chief Justice Paul cancelled all leaves of judicial officers until March 9 to ensure adherence to the Supreme Court’s deadline of February 28 for the publication of the final voters’ lists . The process is expected to begin on Monday, with the aim of resolving all disputed claims efficiently and transparently.

Judicial Oversight Following Concerns

The increased judicial oversight comes after concerns were raised regarding collaboration issues between the state government and the Election Commission . The Supreme Court’s intervention and the subsequent actions by the Calcutta High Court aim to ensure a fair and credible electoral process in West Bengal.