Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday questioned the Election Commission over voters excluded during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. In a post on X on October 3, he asked why the poll body did not tell the Supreme Court that left-out voters could re-enrol by filing Form 6. Chidambaram alleged that lakhs of voters were excluded from West Bengal’s rolls without due process.

He said the Supreme Court had ordered tribunals to hear appeals against the exclusions. According to figures cited by Chidambaram, the tribunals disposed of about 1.26 lakh appeals. He claimed 91 to 93 per cent of them were allowed and the names were restored to the rolls.

Chidambaram also alleged that 13.30 crore names were removed from rolls across the country during the revision. He questioned the money spent on the exercise. He further claimed the Election Commission’s September 29 decision to ease Form 6 re-enrolment amounted to an admission that exclusions were made in haste.

The Election Commission has maintained that its actions were lawful. It has said differences of opinion within the body are normal.