Supreme Court to hear today TMC plea against EC directive on counting supervisors

The TMC had argued that it was issued without any jurisdiction. The party also contended that the Election Commission has not made any such arrangement in four other states which also went to polls along with Bengal.

Rejecting the TMC plea, the HC had said: “It is the prerogative of the office of the Election Commission of India to appoint the counting supervisor and counting assistant either from the state government or the Central government. This court does not find any illegality…”

The High Court noted that counting is conducted under CCTV surveillance and that apart from the counting supervisor and the counting assistant, micro-observers, counting agents of the candidates contesting the election and counting personnel will also be in the counting room.

“Only the counting supervisor and the counting assistants will not be in the counting room. Micro-observers, counting agents of the candidates who are contesting the election and counting personnel will also be in the counting room. Thus, it is impossible to believe the allegation made by the petitioner,” the HC said.

It, however, made it clear that if any malpractice occurs during the counting, the petitioner would be at liberty to challenge the same in an election petition.

“If the petitioner finds that during the counting, the Central government employees who have been appointed as counting supervisors and counting assistants favoured the candidate of the BJP…, the petitioner has the liberty to challenge the same in an election petition,” the HC had said.

Polling for the 294-member Bengal Assembly was held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.