Kolkata, May 2: Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal expressed their approval on Saturday following the Supreme Court’s ruling. The court declined to intervene in the Election Commission’s decision to appoint central government employees as counting supervisors and assistants.
This case stemmed from a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), challenging an order from the Calcutta High Court. While the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission’s authority, it emphasized the need for compliance with the circular that mandates the inclusion of state government representatives in the counting process.
In response to the ruling, Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya accused the TMC of wasting taxpayer money on the fees of senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who represented the ruling party in court. He stated, “Once we come to power, we will disclose the amounts to the public. The people have already rejected the TMC.”
Central Minister Sukanta Majumdar criticized the TMC for seeking judicial intervention, claiming they wanted the counting process to be conducted by state employees affiliated with their party. He remarked, “When the Election Commission decided that the counting would be handled by central government employees, the TMC opposed this decision and attempted to block it, eventually leading them to the Supreme Court.”
Majumdar also took a jab at MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, suggesting that he should not be repeatedly sent to the Supreme Court due to his history of losses in such cases. Instead, he recommended that a more competent lawyer be appointed.
BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh asserted, “Those who have lost in front of the public cannot win elsewhere.”
Conversely, state minister and TMC candidate Shashi Panja claimed that while elections have occurred in other states, the measures being implemented by the Election Commission in West Bengal are unprecedented. She stated, “The Supreme Court has delivered its verdict, and we are closely monitoring the situation. We must respect this decision and nothing more.”
TMC MP Sougata Roy remarked that the Supreme Court’s decision was not a significant setback. He noted, “This is a straightforward order from the Supreme Court. We had demanded that both state and central government employees be included in the counting teams.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court resolved the special leave petition without issuing further directives, acknowledging assurances provided by senior advocate Dama Naidu on behalf of the Election Commission. Naidu confirmed that the vote counting on May 4 would occur in the presence of state government representatives, as outlined in the Election Commission’s circular.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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