New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday told the Supreme Court that 1.61 million appeals challenging the inclusion of voters in West Bengal's electoral rolls after the special intensive revision (SIR) were filed by officers of the state chief electoral officer's (CEO's) office in their statutory capacity, and that these matters were not brought to the Commission.

In an affidavit filed on Monday, the poll panel cited the Supreme Court's April 1 and April 6 orders to defend the filing of the appeals, saying electoral authorities were entitled to challenge inclusions under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The submission is significant because a petition questioning 14 alleged unilateral decisions in...