Election Commission’s appeals against 16.10 lakh cleared voters raise legal questions

Learn the stated distinction and keep the two meanings separate. But the officials who filed appeals against the inclusion of the 16.10 lakh voters may not have had the authority to do so under the Representation of the People Act. Opposition leaders, activists urge SEC to delay Bengal civic polls till SSR to enrol voters is complete Opposition leaders, activists urge SEC to delay Bengal civic polls till SSR to enrol voters is complete Opposition leaders, activists urge SEC to delay Bengal civic polls till SSR to enrol voters is complete storyline 1 According to the Act, the CEO/DEO/ERO/AERO are the authorities with respect to electoral rolls.

Check the reported status and any stated limitations; do not assume an outcome beyond the source.

Use the stated distinction to avoid mixing up different meanings. In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on October 26, the Election Commission of India said that the appeals were not brought to its notice earlier and that a communication dated October 22, 2026, was received from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, stating that its officials had filed the appeals in their capacity as authorities under the Act. Though the ECI, in the affidavit, mentioned that the only authorities vis-à-vis electoral rolls recognised under the Act are the “CEO/DEOs/EROs/AEROs”, it did not state categorically that the appeals against inclusions were filed by these authorised officials, and mentioned them as “officers of the office of CEO West Bengal”.

• New Delhi A little over 16 lakh electors in West Bengal whose names had been cleared by judicial officers after being flagged for logical discrepancies during the West Bengal SIR had found themselves back in the crosshairs when the Election Commission of India (ECI) filed appeals against the inclusion of their names. • A living voter who is struck off loses their constitutional right The SIR and its error margin storyline 1 The filing of appeals against voters cleared by judicial officers was one of the questions raised by Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi in their file notings. • Parallelly, 16,10,311 bulk appeals were instituted at the appellate tribunals challenging the decision to include voters restored by judicial officers, bringing the total number of cases pending in them to a little more than 38 lakh.