ECI Clarifies: OBC Certificates Issued After 2010 in Bengal Not Valid in SIR Hearings

January 1, 2026

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that OBC certificates issued by the West Bengal government after 2010—which have already been cancelled by the Calcutta High Court—will not be accepted as supporting identification documents during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the voter list in the state.

This directive follows a December 24 order by High Court Justice Krishna Rao, in which he directed the Commission to clarify within seven days whether such certificates would be valid in the SIR process. The second phase of the SIR is currently underway.

Election officials responsible for strict compliance

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, stated that the ECI has made it clear that these cancelled certificates will not be used under any circumstances.

The Commission has also assigned the responsibility to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), District Magistrate (DM), and District Election Officer (DEO) to ensure strict compliance with the directive.

Legal Background and BJP’s Petition

This clarity comes following a petition by the West Bengal BJP, which demanded that these certificates not be used as identification documents during the hearing of claims and objections to the draft voter list, which was published on December 16.

The petitioner informed the court that on May 22, 2025, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court (Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha) had cancelled all OBC certificates issued after 2010 and barred their future use for any purpose.

The ECI has listed 13 valid documents as proof of identity, including SC/ST/OBC certificates, but after the court order, cancelled OBC certificates issued after 2010 have automatically become ineligible.