The Supreme Court on Friday expressed great satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of the first phase of Assembly elections in the State of West Bengal, as well as the record-high voter turnout of 92 per cent.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi made these observations while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls recently conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The CJI remarked that the high voter participation reflected the strength of democratic engagement, noting that when citizens recognised the power of their vote and adhered to the rule of law, incidents of violence tend to diminish.
Senior Advocate and Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee contended that even migrant workers returned to West Bengal to cast their votes, adding that many voters participated amid concerns over possible deletion of their names from the rolls.
He said that only 139 claims or appeals of those whose names were deleted from the voter lists have been decided by the appellate tribunals, adding that around 27 lakh people were awaiting hearing.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported the high voter turnout and said that central forces helped ensure peaceful polling in a state that has previously witnessed election-related violence.
The top court of the country directed individuals whose names were left out of the voter lists to approach the 19 appellate tribunals set up under its orders. These tribunals have been asked to prioritise urgent cases, particularly those seeking inclusion in the electoral rolls. The Bench also indicated that it would examine the larger issue of the right to remain on electoral rolls at a later stage.
West Bengal reported a record turnout of over 92 per cent across 152 constituencies in the first phase of assembly elections, held on April 23, 2026. The second phase of voting is scheduled for April 29. Counting will take place on May 4.
The post Supreme Court appreciates record voter turnout in West Bengal appeared first on India Legal.