In South 24 Parganas district, of the 3,21,332 appeals filed, 20,107 names have been included and 24 excluded so far. This is the highest inclusion of names so far, followed by in Hooghly where 19,528 names have been added in the rolls.The SIR appellate tribunals in West Bengal have so far disposed of 82,782 appeals. Out of which, 91 per cent (75,443) of names have been added back to the state’s electoral list, while 8.86 per cent (7,339) of names have been excluded.This has been revealed by the Election Commission (ED) in an RTI reply, which was filed by Congress MP Isha Khan Chowdhury.However, as per the EC’s reply under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, the number of appeals filed was more than the number of people listed as “Not Eligible” in the adjudication process.Citing the RTI reply, the MP said, “The major concern is that 38,10,620 appeals were filed against 27,28,500 voters recorded as ‘Not Eligible’ – a difference of 10,82,120 appeals. These were filed by the Election Commission for excluding voters who had voted in this year’s Assembly elections. This requires immediate clarification by the Election Commission,” Chowdhury said.Pointing to inclusion of 75,443 names in the electoral rolls out of the 82,782 appeals so far disposed of by the appellate tribunals, the Congress MP said, “In other words, more than 91 per cent of the disposed cases have resulted in restoration, raising a serious question about the initial deletion of genuine voters and whether eligible citizens were denied the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”“The consequences are not merely electoral. Many affected citizens are living in fear and uncertainty, facing difficulties in accessing government benefits or unable to travel abroad for employment due to apprehensions regarding detention. Electoral rolls must be accurate, transparent and inclusive. No genuine citizen should be deprived of the right,” he added.Meanwhile, Congress leader Prasenjit Bose, who leads the party’s SIR panel and is one of the petitioners challenging the SIR exercise in the Supreme Court, said that only seven lakh out of the 27 lakh voters excluded by the adjudication phase over “logical discrepancies” have been able to file appeals.Story continues below this ad“We informed the Supreme Court that the state government officials are claiming that only 7 lakh out of total 27 lakh deleted electors have filed appeals so far. The rest of the appeals have been filed by EC or individual objectors,” Bose said.“The intention behind the EC’s March 10 order for constituting the Appellate Tribunals was to create a mechanism by which those persons whose claim for inclusion was rejected by the judicial officers could be included in the electoral rolls and not to create a means for the EC and other objectors to file bulk appeals for deletions,” he added.The Congress leader said that they have urged the Supreme Court to set up a time-bound schedule for the disposal of the appeals, citing the elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Howrah Municipal Corporation scheduled to be held by the end of this year.According to data provided by the EC, the highest number of appeals were filed in the border district of Murshidabad. Of the 7,47,305 appeals filed in the district, 434 names have been included and 53 excluded so far. (See chart)Story continues below this adIn another border district of Malda, 5,31,149 appeals were filed, and out of 1,471 cases disposed of, all have been included in the electoral rolls.In North 24 Parganas district, 3,58,872 appeals were filed, and of the 277 disposed of, all have been included in the rolls.In South 24 Parganas district, of the 3,21,332 appeals filed, 20,107 names have been included and 24 excluded so far. This is the highest inclusion of names so far, followed by in Hooghly where 19,528 names have been added in the rolls.In the hill district of Darjeeling, only one name has been excluded so far, and 159 have been included, of the total 50,712 appeals filed here. Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read MoreAtri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Kolkata