37.18 Lakh Bengal SIR Appeals Still Pending
More than 37 lakh appeals linked to West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls remain unresolved, the Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court. Of 38,20,683 appeals filed over the inclusion or deletion of names, only 1,02,231 have been disposed of, leaving 37,18,452 cases pending before appellate tribunals.
West Bengal SIR Appeals Face Massive Backlog
The figures were submitted as the Supreme Court examines the functioning of the appellate mechanism created to hear challenges arising from the electoral roll revision process. The court had sought details on the number of appeals filed, cases disposed of and measures being taken to accelerate adjudication.
The Election Commission’s affidavit did not provide a separate breakdown showing how many appeals involved voters seeking restoration of deleted names and how many challenged the inclusion of names on the electoral rolls.
Supreme Court Seeks Faster Disposal of Appeals
The Supreme Court has emphasised that appeals arising from the West Bengal SIR process should be handled in a time-bound manner. The court has also examined whether additional appellate tribunals or judicial resources may be required to address the large backlog.
Around 700 judicial officers were earlier deployed to deal with claims and objections during the revision exercise, while 19 appellate tribunals headed by retired High Court judges were subsequently constituted to hear challenges.
Form 6 Applications Cross 34 Lakh
Election Commission data also showed that approximately 34.13 lakh Form 6 applications were filed between December 17, 2025, when the draft electoral roll was published, and August 7, 2026.
Form 6 is used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll and can also be used by voters seeking restoration of their names following deletion during the revision process.
