The Trinamool Congress on Friday approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the Election Commission’s directive to appoint only central government and public sector undertaking (PSU) employees as counting supervisors and assistants for the West Bengal Assembly election vote count on May 4.
The party has sought an urgent hearing, with sources indicating that Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant has agreed to list the matter for hearing on Saturday.
The petition comes amid heightened political tensions following the second phase of polling in West Bengal, with allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
TMC challenges EC directive, alleges bias
The dispute centres on a recent communication issued by the Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, which stated that at least one official at every counting table, either the counting supervisor or assistant, must be from central government services or a PSU.
The TMC has contested the directive, arguing that such a condition can only be imposed by the Election Commission and not by a state-level official. It further contended that the Election Commission’s handbook does not mandate the exclusive deployment of central personnel for these roles.
In its plea, the party alleged that the move could compromise the neutrality of the counting process. It argued that central government employees could be influenced, given that the Union government is controlled by a political party, thereby affecting the level playing field.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier raised concerns over the deployment of “observers from outside” and police personnel unfamiliar with the state, alleging that such measures were being used to target TMC workers.
The move to approach the apex court follows the dismissal of a similar petition by the Calcutta High Court, which upheld the Election Commission’s authority in the matter.
The High Court ruled that the Commission’s handbook permits the appointment of counting staff from both central and state government services and that the choice of personnel falls within the discretion of election authorities.
Rejecting allegations of bias, the court observed that multiple safeguards are already in place to ensure transparency and fairness during the counting process. These include the presence of micro-observers, counting agents appointed by candidates, and CCTV surveillance at counting centres.
The court also noted that apprehensions raised by the TMC were not substantiated by evidence and held that mere suspicion could not justify judicial intervention in the conduct of elections.
However, the TMC has argued that the directive represents a deviation from established norms and is specific to West Bengal, thereby warranting scrutiny by the Supreme Court.
With counting scheduled for May 4, the outcome of the hearing is expected to have a bearing on the administrative arrangements for the process, even as political tensions remain high in the state following a closely contested election.
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