Kolkata, March 20 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a notification announcing the constitution of 19 Appellate Tribunals to hear objections on decisions taken by judicial officers during ongoing adjudications of cases classified under the “logical discrepancy” category during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, which is heading for a two‑phase Assembly poll next month.

The notification stated: “In pursuance of the order dated 10.03.2026 passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in W.P. (Civil) No. 1089 of 2025 and ors, and as recommended by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court at Calcutta, the Election Commission of India (‘ECI’) hereby constitutes the following Appellate Tribunal(s) for hearing appeals against orders passed by the designated Judicial Officers in respect of inclusion or exclusion of prospective electors in the electoral roll of the State of West Bengal.”

Of the 19 tribunals, 18 will be headed by former judges of the High Court, while one will be headed by a former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

Immediate Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam will head the tribunal handling cases from Kolkata, covering the two electoral districts of Kolkata (Dakshin and Uttar), as well as Kolkata‑adjacent North 24 Parganas.

The notification further stated: “Consequent upon the publication of the supplementary electoral roll, appellant may file appeals against the orders passed by the designated Judicial Officers in accordance with this notification.”

Appeals at the Appellate Tribunals may be filed either online through the Commission’s digital platform or physically at the office of the district magistrate, sub‑division magistrate or sub‑divisional officer, who will ensure digitisation and uploading of the appeal on the ECI NET platform at the earliest.

The notification added: “This notification shall come into force with immediate effect and the above tribunal shall cease to exist immediately after all appeals are disposed of in the respective districts.”

The constitution of these tribunals is seen as a crucial step to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process.

Legal experts note that appeals on voter inclusion or exclusion often determine the credibility of electoral rolls, especially in politically sensitive states like West Bengal.

The move is expected to reassure voters and strengthen confidence in democratic institutions ahead of the polls.

–IANS

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