Overview
- The Election Commission directed West Bengal to display names flagged under 'logical discrepancies' and 'unmapped' by January 24, hold hearings at public offices, issue receipts, and ensure adequate manpower as ordered by the Supreme Court.
- Senior election officials indicated the February 7 hearing cutoff and February 14 final roll publication are likely to be extended due to new publication and hearing windows.
- Oversight was expanded with 11 additional central observers sent to West Bengal, taking that cadre to 20, with overall observer strength reported at 37 including other categories.
- The Commission sought FIRs against four poll officials for alleged voter-list manipulation in Baruipur East and asked the state to file an action-taken report within 72 hours.
- Protests and vandalism continued at several hearing centers as the Court scrutinized the Commission’s procedural deviations and the EC cited data anomalies that 'defy science,' including implausible family mappings.