The fate of more than 50 lakh West Bengal voters hangs in the balance as judicial officers began a high-stakes vetting process Monday. While the final electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are officially scheduled for publication on February 28, Election Commission of India (ECI) sources indicated that the complete, verified list may be released only two to three days later.
The decision to deploy the judiciary was finalised during a high-level meeting Sunday, chaired by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul of the Calcutta High Court. This marks the second such meeting in 48 hours, following an unprecedented mandate from the Supreme Court. The apex court directed the deployment of serving and former district judges for the SIR verification exercise in the state, citing “trust deficit” between the TMC government and the Election Commission (EC).
The meeting was attended by Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty, Justice Arijit Bandyopadhyay, Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Special Roll Observer Subrata Gupta, Director General of Police Peeyush Pandey, Kolkata police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar, senior ECI officials and district judges from all 23 districts, who attended virtually.
To meet the tightening deadlines, the Registrar of Judicial Services has issued a strict notification. All judicial officers, ranging from district and sessions judges to those in Special CBI and Pocso courts, have been refrained from taking leave until March 9, 2026.
Any officer currently on leave has been ordered to report for duty by February 23. Even previously approved leaves stand cancelled, with exceptions made only for extreme medical emergencies.
According to the ECI, 68 lakh voters are expected to be struck off the rolls, 5 lakh names have already been rejected, 5 lakh voters remained absent during crucial hearings, and 30 lakh names were flagged for re-verification due to illegible or unauthorised documents.
As it stands, approximately 20 lakh cases are pending verification with Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), while another 4.66 lakh await a final call from District Election Officers (DEOs).
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
