The confusion comes even as supplementary voter lists have been published since March 24, triggering a 15-day window for excluded electors to file appeals before designated tribunals. Between March 24 and April 2, eight such lists have been released, each carrying the same stipulation.
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While the Election Commission provides an online option through its ECI NET platform, a significant number of affected voters — particularly those less comfortable with digital processes — are relying on the offline route to submit their appeals.
Dharmendra Singh, a deleted voter from south Kolkata, described his experience:
“I went to the Survey Building at Alipore today to file my appeal for the tribunal as was directed by officials. But I was told first that the appeal work was not available because it was a govt holiday. It is to my knowledge that EC work is supposed to be carried out even on holidays. The official, when told about it, reasoned that they were busy with other election-related work. I have been asked to come on Saturday.”
For many like Singh, time is running out. With nearly a week already gone since the publication of their names in the deleted list, voters say they now have barely another week left to complete the process.Also Read: Mamata Banerjee seeks Amit Shah’s resignation, calls Malda incident a ‘conspiracy’
“Who will take the responsibility if I miss the deadline to make my appeal before the tribunal, the last chance for me to get my voting right back?” asked another deleted elector, Soma Das.
Similar complaints emerged from north Kolkata, where voters visiting the Jessop Building reported being turned away despite offices being open.
Kusum Dubey, another deleted voter, said:
“The building was open and some officials were there but they cited lack of time to do offline appeal work. An official asked me to get it done online as they were busy with other works. If I could do it, I would not have taken the pain to visit the office. However, the officials asked me to come on Monday.”
With deadlines looming and offline access proving inconsistent, many affected voters now fear procedural hurdles could cost them their last chance to restore their voting rights.
