TMC moves SC to scrap EC order excluding State staff from vote counting supervisor duty

NEW DELHI: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) connected Friday moved Supreme Court against the Calcutta precocious court's bid rejecting the plea challenging deployment of lone cardinal government's unit astatine couting centers connected May 4.The Mamata Banerjee's enactment had challenged the canvass work assigned to cardinal authorities and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) employees arsenic supervisors successful the ballot counting.The precocious tribunal told the TMC that appointing cardinal oregon authorities officers arsenic counting supervisors is the Election Commission’s prerogative. It said that if cardinal officers are recovered to person manipulated counting and favoured the BJP, the enactment tin record an predetermination petition.

Earlier, the tribunal had asked wherefore lone cardinal officers were being appointed, to which the EC replied that the aforesaid signifier was followed successful Kerala.Justice Krishna Rao, proceeding the case, asked EC, “If determination is an objection, tin the Election Commission not adjudicate? Why are you not going for the authorities govt?” The HC besides pointed retired that the statute allows the ECI to name employees from either the authorities govt oregon cardinal govt and employees of PSUs for the role.

EC counsel Dama Seshadri Naidu replied, “We person done that successful Kerala. We person not singled retired immoderate state. As the concern demands, we bash that.”Senior advocator Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the petitioner, questioned, “Do you disbelieve these authorities govt employees? You person conducted the full predetermination with authorities govt staff. Why are you adopting a discriminatory attack towards West Bengal? In all, 2,500 companies person been brought here.

If adjacent 1 institution had been successful Pahalgam, those 26 radical would not person been killed.”Justice Rao successful his bid said, “Section 100 of the Representation of the People Act provides that immoderate noncompliance with the provisions of the Constitution of this Act oregon of immoderate rules oregon orders made nether this Act shall beryllium grounds for declaring predetermination to beryllium void and thus, if the petitioner finds that during the counting, the cardinal govt employees who person been appointed arsenic counting supervisor and counting assistants favoured the candi-date of the BJP owed to which the campaigner of the petitioner defeated, the petitioner has the liberty to situation the aforesaid successful an predetermination petition.

”The precocious tribunal besides said portion dismissing the petition, “It is the prerogative of the bureau of the Election Commission of India to name the counting supervisor and counting adjunct either from the authorities govt oregon the cardinal govt. This tribunal does not find immoderate illegality for appointing counting supervisor and counting adjunct from the cardinal govt / cardinal PSU worker alternatively of authorities govt employee.”The precocious tribunal besides said, “Only the counting supervisor and the counting assistants volition not beryllium successful the counting room. Micro observers, counting agents of the candidates who are contesting the predetermination and counting unit volition besides beryllium successful the counting room. Thus, it is intolerable to judge the allegation made by the petitioner.”