The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard petitions filed by four states, including West Bengal, seeking an extension of the December 4 deadline for submitting and digitising enumeration forms under the SIR process. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi, directed all parties to file affidavits before further orders are issued.
Appearing for the Election Commission, Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi informed the Court that nearly 50 percent of the digitisation work has already been completed and that no operational difficulties have been reported. He added that supplementary lists are being prepared for individuals who did not receive enumeration forms. The Commission also stated that political leaders were allegedly exerting pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Representing West Bengal and Kerala, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal refuted the Commission’s claim, clarifying that no political leader had issued instructions, and that all directions were issued solely by the Commission. He argued that the December 4 deadline is impractical, noting severe weather concerns, including an approaching storm in Tamil Nadu. Sibal suggested extending the deadline to December 5 and further requested that BLOs be allowed to upload up to 50 forms each even after the cutoff.
Sibal emphasised that the ground reality is more serious than presented, highlighting the extreme pressures faced by BLOs. He informed the Court that 23 BLOs in West Bengal have reportedly died due to work-related stress.
The petitioners argued that the enumeration process has become increasingly complex and requires additional time. Considering the submissions, the Court directed Kerala to file a separate status report. Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal were all heard, with West Bengal instructed to submit its affidavit by December 9.
Earlier, multiple states had appealed to the Election Commission for an extension of the digitisation deadline. During the Commission’s recent visit to West Bengal, concerns were raised regarding excessive pressure allegedly exerted on BLOs by district authorities. However, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar maintained that the deadline could not be extended, stating that the work must be completed within the stipulated timeframe.
