2 min readNew DelhiMar 21, 2026 12:26 AM IST
The Election Commission on Friday set up 19 appellate tribunals for hearing appeals against the orders passed by judicial officers who are currently deciding on the eligibility of 60.06 lakh electors of West Bengal.
Acting on orders of the Supreme Court and recommendations of Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, the EC set up the appellate authority, naming 19 former judges as the single-member tribunals for the 23 districts. While most of the judges were named for a single district, three were assigned multiple districts. The 19 former judges included former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, who was named the appellate authority for North 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
“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,” the EC order said.
The appeals can be filed either on the EC’s ECINET website or physically at the offices of the District Magistrates or Sub-Divisional Magistrates or Sub-Divisional Officers, who are to digitise and upload the appeals on the ECINET platform, the EC said.
“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 EC said.
The EC’s decision comes at a time when judicial officers appointed on orders of the Supreme Court on February 20 are deciding on whether 60.06 lakh electors flagged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls can remain on the rolls or not. The SC had ordered that as and when the judicial officers decide, supplementary lists of electors are to be published. This even as the EC has announced elections in West Bengal on April 23 and April 29.
