The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office is likely to publish the first set of names from the additional voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, with indications that the updated roll may be released as early as Friday.
The development comes amid heightened administrative preparedness and concerns over possible law and order issues once the revised names are made public.
In view of the gravity of the situation, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul, held a meeting with Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, Director General of Police Siddha Nath Gupta, and Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda to assess the prevailing security scenario in the state.
The meeting began at 10 a.m. on Thursday and continued for about half an hour. The schedule of the meeting had been known since Wednesday, and proceedings commenced as planned.
The timing of the review is being seen as significant, as it comes just ahead of the anticipated publication of the additional voter list after the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission of India had earlier released a revised voter list on 28 February, though it was acknowledged to be incomplete.
According to official data, 6,44,52,609 voters were marked as ‘eligible’ in that list, while as many as 60,06,675 names were kept under the ‘under consideration’ category.
Sources indicate that the process of adjudicating these pending names has gained momentum in recent days. As of Wednesday, decisions had been taken on approximately 23.3 lakh such cases.
More than 700 judicial officers have been appointed by the Calcutta High Court are currently engaged in scrutinising these entries.
Officials in the CEO office have suggested that, if the current pace is maintained, the disposal of all pending names could be completed before the elections.
However, apprehensions remain in certain quarters that a number of names may be excluded when the first list of adjudicated voters is published.
This has raised concerns about potential law and order disturbances in some parts of the state following the release.
Against this backdrop, the high court’s proactive review of the security situation underscores the administration’s alertness.
Authorities are closely monitoring developments to ensure that any fallout from the publication of the updated voter rolls is effectively managed.