Supreme Court Upholds EC Circular: No Further Orders Required

The Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission's April 13 circular on deploying central government staff for vote counting in West Bengal, rejecting the Trinamool Congress's plea. The EC circular mandates a mix of central and state government employees, assuring transparent vote counting. No further court orders are required.

The Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that no additional orders were required on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) plea, which contested the dismissal of its petition by the Calcutta High Court regarding an Election Commission (EC) circular. The circular concerned the deployment of personnel for vote counting in West Bengal.

A special bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi maintained that the EC has the authority to select counting personnel, confirming that the April 13 circular was valid. This circular mandates a combination of central and state government employees, countering TMC's claims of mismanagement in the vote-counting process.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the TMC, acknowledged the late notification of the circular, but both the EC and the court assured that it would be duly implemented. The bench subsequently dismissed the plea, emphasizing that no further court order was necessary. Voting in West Bengal's 294-seat assembly took place in two phases, with results expected on May 4.