In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections, an extraordinary situation has emerged: millions of citizens may find themselves excluded from the electoral rolls, not by a final legal determination, but by the timing of an unfinished administrative process. The scale alone ~ running into tens of lakhs ~ marks this as a moment that demands closer scrutiny, not just of decisions taken, but of how institutions are interacting under pressure. At the centre of the issue is a large-scale verification exercise of voter lists. Judicial officers have processed a vast number of cases, resulting in a significant proportion of names being struck off, but as many being included.

Those affected are not without remedy; they are entitled to appeal before designated tribunals. Yet the critical complication is that many of these tribunals are either newly constituted or not fully functional. The right to appeal, therefore, exists in principle but remains constrained in practice. The matter has reached the Supreme Court, which has chosen not to impose a rigid deadline on the appellate process. The Court’s reasoning is understandable: hurried adjudication on such a scale risks inconsistency and procedural error. Instead, it has emphasised the need for uniformity and institutional order, even as it acknowledged the urgency of the electoral timeline. In a separate but related development, concerns over interference in the adjudication process at Malda have prompted the Court to transfer an investigation to the National Investigation Agency, signalling unease about the environment in which these decisions are being made.

In practical terms, this means administrative timelines are now shaping democratic outcomes. When procedure begins to determine participation, the balance tilts subtly but decisively away from the voter, raising concerns that extend beyond one election to the health of electoral governance itself. What emerges is a deeper institutional misalignment. Elections operate on fixed schedules, but adjudication – especially when scaled up dramatically ~ does not. When these timelines collide, the consequences are borne not by institutions, but by citizens.

A voter whose claim is ultimately upheld after polling concludes has, in effect, been denied participation in a process that cannot be replayed. This is not a question of intent so much as of sequencing. Electoral rolls are meant to be settled well before the democratic exercise begins. When verification, adjudication, and appeal spill over into the election period itself, the integrity of the process becomes contingent on administrative capacity rather than constitutional assurance. The implications extend beyond a single state or election cycle. If such overlaps become normalised, they risk creating a precedent where the right to vote is formally intact but operationally uncertain.

That distinction ~ between a right recognised and a right realised ~ goes to the heart of democratic credibility. The present episode, therefore, is less about numbers and more about principle. It raises a fundamental question: can a democracy afford to treat participation as provisional, subject to processes that conclude only after the moment of choice has passed? Sadly, the Election Commission of India has made a hash of things.

West Bengal Assembly Elections

‘The game is on’: Mamata Banerjee alleges Malda incident was ‘pre-planned’ BJP conspiracy

The Bengal CID has arrested Mofakkarul Islam, an advocate and former AIMIM candidate, at Bagdogra Airport, identifying him as the key conspirator in the Malda incident.

Malda judicial officers’ harassment case: Main accused, linked wth AIMIM, held at airport; NIA steps in

With central agencies stepping in, the Malda incident has escalated into a major probe as investigators examine the sequence of events and the role of those arrested.

Suvendu releases separate ‘Viksit Bhowanipore’ manifesto

Even before releasing its state-wide manifesto for the Assembly elections, the BJP on Wednesday sharpened its focus on the high-profile Bhowanipore constituency, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari unveiling a separate local manifesto titled ‘Viksit Bhowanipore’.

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