The Election Commission on Thursday released the eighth supplementary voter list in West Bengal, saying it has disposed of around 52 lakh cases under adjudication.

Officials hope the process will finish within the next four days, following directions from the Calcutta High Court. A senior official from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office said around 35 to 40 per cent of names have been removed from the rolls so far.

"Verification and disposal of about 52 lakh cases, which were under adjudication, have been completed till Thursday evening. Work for the remaining nearly 8 lakh applicants is in progress and is expected to be completed within the next four days," he said, reported PTI.

Officials said that if the current pace continues, the entire adjudication process should be done by April 7. Over 60 lakh names were under review after the final draft of the electoral rolls was published.

Judicial officers are carrying out the adjudication in line with Supreme Court directions. The process is crucial as the first phase of elections in the state is scheduled for April 23, while the last date for filing nominations for the first phase is April 6.

Verification must be completed before the rolls are frozen. Security for judicial officers has gained attention following the incident in Malda’s Kaliachak, where officers were gheraoed on Wednesday night.

"In view of the incident, adequate steps are being taken to ensure the safety and security of judicial officers deployed for voter verification," a source said.

Those whose names do not appear in the supplementary list will have to approach tribunals for redressal.