Bengal poll row: TMC flags concerns over counting supervisors, moves SC
The case has been listed for urgent hearing on Saturday before a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, as the counting of votes is slated for May 4.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsPoll dispute in West Bengal has reached a flashpoint, with the Trinamool Congress approaching the Supreme Court against the Chief Electoral Officer’s decision to appoint only Central government personnel as vote-counting supervisors for the state assembly elections. The case has been listed for an urgent hearing on Saturday before a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, as the counting of votes is slated for May 4.
TMC approached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court dismissed its petition on Thursday, stating that it found no illegality in appointing counting supervisors and counting assistants from Central government departments or Central PSUs instead of State government employees, Bar & Bench reported.
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This comes amid an intense political standoff between the BJP and the TMC in West Bengal, centred on allegations of EVM tampering, electoral violence, and expectations of a fierce contest.
Earlier, the Election Commission ordered repolling at 15 polling stations in West Bengal across two constituencies, Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour, on May 2 over alleged irregularities ahead of the final election results.
In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, the EC said the repolling was ordered based on inputs received from the state poll machinery, and voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, ANI reported.
Voting irregularities
This comes after multiple reports of EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) tampering surfaced from various polling stations during the second phase of elections in West Bengal. Additionally, in Falta, South 24 Parganas, there were allegations that the BJP button on EVMs had been covered with tape.
During the second phase of polling on April 29, BJP’s co-in-charge for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, alleged that the BJP option was blocked using tape, preventing voters from choosing the party’s candidate at several polling booths in Falta under the Diamond Harbour constituency. Malviya termed this the “Diamond Harbour Model” and alleged that it helped Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, secure his Lok Sabha seat.
In a post on X, Malviya wrote, “This is what Mamata Banerjee was defending when she spoke up for Jehangir Khan, a criminal contesting on a TMC ticket from Falta in Diamond Harbour. In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice. This is the so-called ‘Diamond Harbour Model,’ the same template that helped Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee secure his Lok Sabha seat.”
West Bengal assembly elections
Elections in West Bengal were held in two phases and witnessed a high voter turnout across the state. The results are scheduled to be declared on May 4.