The Supreme Court will hear Tuesday a plea by the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) challenging the Calcutta High Court order directing it to seek central forces for all districts in the state for the upcoming panchayat polls. Appearing for the SEC, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora told a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and M M Sundresh that while it can make an assessment as to which areas are sensitive, it cannot send requisition. The HC had on June 13 asked the SEC to requisition central forces to be deployed in areas identified as ‘sensitive’ by the Commission in its report to the HC for the polls scheduled on July 8. On June 15, the HC directed the Commission to requisition central forces for all districts in the state within 48 hours. The counsel told the Court that there was no opportunity to file a reply before the HC and that the SEC was challenging both the June 13 and June 15 orders. The HC order came on a plea by the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. The HC order expressed concern that its June 13 order had not been fully complied with. Although the Commission sought more time, the HC said that giving more time will only complicate the situation and not help the purity of the election process.
