The Supreme Court on Friday lauded the record voter turnout of around 92 per cent in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly election held on Thursday, 23 April, noting with satisfaction that the elections were largely peaceful with only stray incidents reported.
Expressing satisfaction on the voters’ turnout, Chief Justice Surya Kant, heading a Bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, said: “As a citizen of India, I was very happy to see the voting percentage. When people exercise right to vote, this strengthens the democratic setup,”
Echoing the sentiment, Justice Bagchi noted the absence of violence during polling. “There have been no incidents of violence also,” he said, with Chief Justice Surya Kant observing that “When people acknowledge their power in the ballot, they do not indulge in violence.”
The court was informed that voters, including migrant workers, have come out to cast their votes, contributing to what was described as a historic turnout. The Bench noted this as a positive sign amid concerns raised earlier over the revision of electoral rolls. The previous highest turnout was about 84 per cent in 2011.
However, the court was also informed of concerns over the slow progress in adjudication of appeals against the exclusion of names from the electoral rolls. The court was told that out of 27 lakh appeals only 136 have been decided. There are 19 Appellate Tribunals headed by former Chief Justices and senior judges of the Calcutta High Court hearing appeals against deletion from the voters list.
These appeals arise from the adjudication of claims and objections of 60 lakh names categorised as ‘logical discrepancy’ and ‘unmapped’ voters. The adjudication was done by 700 judicial officers ~ 500 from West Bengal and 200 from Odisha and Jharkhand.
Taking note of the situation, Chief Justice Kant said that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court could be approached to address issues relating to the functioning and pace of the appellate tribunal. It reiterated that appeals involving exclusion from voter lists must be taken up urgently, particularly in view of the ongoing election process.
The Bench also granted additional time to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its chargesheet in a separate case relating to the gherao of judicial officers engaged in the SIR process.
The court was hearing petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The matter will be taken up for further hearing on 11 May 2026.