India, Oct. 3 -- Will a special drive launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enrol left-out and first-time voters apply to the 2.2 million people whose appeals against deletion are pending before appellate tribunals?

It remains unclear whether these people can file Form 6 applications to return to the rolls as new voters as election officials differ in their opinion.

A senior poll panel official said they won't be able to access the drive.

"The special drive by the ECI to enrol the left-out voters will not apply to those voters whose cases are pending before the Appellate Tribunals in West Bengal," the official in Kolkata told HT.

In September, ECI informed the Supreme Court that of the total 3.8 million appeals filed b...