Kolkata, March 20 The first supplementary voter list in West Bengal is likely to be published on March 23, an Election Commission official said on Friday.
The scheduled release on March 19 was postponed at the last minute as the process was not yet complete.
The official said preparations are underway to display the updated voter list across nearly 80,000 polling booths in the state once it is finalized by next Monday.
The publication of the supplementary list assumes significance as it is likely to include the names of voters whose applications were marked as "under adjudication" after the final electoral roll was published on February 28.
According to the poll official, over 60 lakh names were initially marked as "under adjudication", of which more than 27 lakh cases have been disposed of till Friday afternoon.
The delay in publication triggered political reactions, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that eligible voters were being harassed due to the delay.
The EC official attached to the Chief Electoral Officer's office said the exercise is being carried out "on a war footing" in compliance with Supreme Court directions and under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court.
After March 23, additional lists could be published in phases as more claims are settled, he explained.
West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting set to take place on May 4.