The Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation, which houses all 19 appellate tribunals set up by the Election Commission in West Bengal, is completely restricted. CAPF and West Bengal Police guard the gates, and no one is allowed in unless the judges have formally summoned them.

And yet, a steady stream of people keeps arriving at the barricades with documents in little bags, trying to figure out if this is where they’re supposed to be – if this is indeed the place where their names, and perhaps something more than their names, can be restored.

A lady carrying her documents outside the appellate tribunals.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India said that people whose names were deleted from the voter list can appeal to tribunals. If they’re found eligible, their names can be added back before April 21 and April 27, just days before voting in the first and second phase begins. 

On paper, it sounds like a second chance. But the ground reality is quite different. There are only 19 appellate tribunals in West Bengal to do this job, all housed in one building, a few kilometres from Kolkata in Joka. These 19 tribunals, headed by retired judges, are to adjudicate 27 lakh voters in a matter of days.

People walking past a barricade outside the appellate tribunals.

When Newslaundry reached the Joka tribunal, we expected long queues. Instead, we found confusion. People arriving with dense paperwork, hoping to be heard. The police are tasked with repeatedly explaining that there is no point in waiting. “You can only go in if you have been summoned.” There are no visible Election Commission officials outside to guide people. No clear instructions on what to do if you’ve filed an appeal but haven’t been summoned. Many said they came after hearing the news in the media or being advised by BLOs.

Dwijen Mitra, a tailor........

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