SC Raises Concerns On West Bengal SIR, Asks: ‘What If 15% of Voters Can’t Vote And The Margin Is 2%?’

The Supreme Court of India on Monday expressed serious concerns about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

The court questioned certain changes made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and highlighted possible risks to fair voting.

Questions Over Changes in Process

During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi pointed out that the Election Commission appears to have deviated from its earlier approach followed in other states like Bihar.

He noted that in West Bengal, the ECI introduced a new category called "Logical Discrepancy", which was not part of earlier voter revision processes. This raised concerns about consistency and transparency in the system.

The court also highlighted the risk of genuine voters being left out of the electoral rolls. Justice Bagchi gave an example to explain the seriousness of the issue.

He said that if a large number of voters are unable to vote and the election is decided by a small margin, it could affect the fairness of the result.

For instance, if the winning margin is just a few percent but a bigger section of voters is excluded, it could raise questions about the outcome.

Need for a Strong Appeal System

One of the key points raised by the court was the need for a strong and reliable appeal system.

Justice Bagchi stressed that people whose names are removed from the voter list must have a proper way to challenge the decision. He said that a "robust appellate mechanism" is necessary to ensure fairness and avoid mistakes.

Pressure on Officials Handling the Process

The court also acknowledged the pressure on officials involved in the SIR process.
Justice Bagchi noted that judicial officers reviewing large numbers of documents under strict deadlines cannot be expected to achieve perfect accuracy.

He explained that even maintaining a high level of accuracy under such conditions is difficult, which increases the chances of errors.

Another key issue raised was the difference between the West Bengal process and the earlier SIR conducted in Bihar.

The court pointed out that in the Bihar case, the ECI had stated that voters listed in the 2002 electoral roll did not need to submit documents again.

However, in West Bengal, the process appears to have changed, leading to confusion and concerns over fairness.