The Calcutta High Court on Thursday reportedly dismissed a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) against the chief electoral officer’s decision to deploy only central government employees as supervisors of vote counting in the Assembly elections. Rejecting TMC’s claims that the staff would be vulnerable to BJP control, the court said junior observers, candidate counting agents and other staff would also be in the room.
The TMC has alleged that central government employees are likely to be affected by the control of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power at the Centre, Bar & Bench reported.
Justice Krishna Rao denied the allegations and said that only the counting supervisor and counting assistants would not be in the counting room.
“There will also be careful observers, screening agents of the candidates contesting the election and counting staff,” the court said, adding that it was therefore “impossible” to believe the claim made by the petitioner.
The court also noted that it did not find any “contradiction of law” in the EC appointing a counting supervisor and assistant counting officer from the central government.
Court says TMC can file election petition with proof
The court also added that TMC can also file an election petition if it can prove that central government employees are helping BJP candidates by manipulating votes.
“The petitioner is free to take all the points mentioned in the election petition,” the bench said.
This development comes with the end of the polling process in West Bengal, and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
A petition filed by the TMC had earlier challenged the order of the Additional Chief Electoral Officer, stating that “at least one among the Counting Supervisor and Counting Assistant at each counting table shall be an employee of the Central Government/Central Election Support Unit”.
The lawyer representing the TMC said the election officer had no authority to issue such an order, while the other side maintained that all appointments were made in accordance with procedures.
