The bench observed that if the situation deteriorates further, the deployment of police personnel might become unavoidable to ensure the completion of the nationwide voter list verification exercise. Responding to the court, the ECI stated that it possesses full constitutional authority to act against incidents of threats or pressure on BLOs and other field officers. The bench, however, urged the Commission to take firm measures, underscoring that failure to curb such actions could compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
Amid rising concerns—particularly from West Bengal, where several cases of obstruction have been flagged—the Election Commission has appointed five senior IAS officers as Special Roll Observers (SROs) to strengthen oversight of the SIR process. The move, officials said, aims to enhance transparency and restore confidence in the revision drive.
According to state election officials, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Kumar Ravi Kant Singh has been assigned to oversee the Presidency Division, while Neeraj Kumar Bansod from the Ministry of Home Affairs will supervise the Medinipur Division. Krishna Kumar Nirala of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been designated as SRO for the Bardhaman Division. Officials in the Chief Electoral Officer’s office noted that the deployment of SROs is expected to reinforce scrutiny and streamline monitoring across all divisions.
The Special Intensive Revision began on November 4, and the final electoral roll for West Bengal is scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026.
With the Supreme Court’s stern remarks and heightened administrative oversight, the developments signal a critical phase for the revision exercise—one that may shape both the accuracy of future voter rolls and public trust in the electoral system.
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