(Image source from: Thehindu.com)

On Thursday, the Supreme Court gave a 24-hour limit to finish the process of updating the voters' list in West Bengal for the first phase of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The initial deadline to publish the voter list was supposed to be on Monday. The Election Commission of India (ECI) also notified the court that 26,000 claims still needed to be resolved. "The ECI must release the final supplementary list by tomorrow, even if not all verified objections have digital signatures," stated the court in its ruling. The Supreme Court also instructed the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to form a group of three former judges who will set rules for the appellate tribunals to handle appeals regarding deletions.

"We have asked the tribunals to look over all the documents again, including the reasons given by judicial officers, to clear any uncertainties," the court mentioned in its ruling. It added, "We have asked them to ensure that all parties receive a proper hearing. " The bench also said, "The Chief Justice of Calcutta HC has received a letter from one of the former chief justices who has agreed to chair one of the tribunals. " During the session, the Election Commission (EC) informed the Supreme Court that any remaining claims and objections would be settled by the end of the day. The court was further updated that judicial officers had processed over 59 lakh claims and objections from individuals whose names were removed from the voters' lists up until noon.