91% of Bengal SIR appeals succeed as RTI reveals scale

An RTI reply to Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury shows that 91% of appeals decided by West Bengal's electoral roll appellate tribunal have resulted in voter names being restored. Of 82,000 appeals disposed of by 7 August, 75,339 were upheld, while 7,339 were rejected. The tribunal had received 38.10 lakh appeals in total, but has only decided 2.17% of them.

The National Herald reports that the RTI reply has raised questions about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, noting that 27.28 lakh voters were marked 'not eligible' in the final roll, yet only 7 lakh of them filed appeals. The reply also reveals that 31 lakh of the 38 lakh appeals challenge inclusions, not exclusions. The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to file an affidavit detailing the number of appeals pending, disposed of, and allowed.

The Hindu provides broader context, reporting that the Supreme Court in May 2026 upheld the Election Commission's authority to conduct the SIR, finding it pursued a legitimate aim of restoring electoral roll integrity. The court rejected arguments that the process was arbitrary, noting safeguards like speaking orders and appellate remedies were provided.