BJP and TMC Welcome SC Direction on West Bengal Vote Counting Process
Political parties in West Bengal, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court’s observations regarding the Election Commission’s guidelines on vote counting arrangements for the state Assembly elections.
The Supreme Court said no further intervention was required in a petition filed by the TMC challenging a Calcutta High Court order that had upheld the Election Commission’s circular on deployment of personnel for counting duties.
Following the development, BJP leader Amit Malviya said the court’s refusal to interfere marked a “legal setback” for the TMC, adding that repeated challenges to the counting process were being rejected by the judiciary.
On the other hand, the TMC stated that the Supreme Court’s directions effectively supported its stand on ensuring a fair and balanced counting process. The party argued that the counting system should not rely exclusively on central government employees.
The court noted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is free to decide the deployment of counting personnel, and clarified that its April 13 circular does not exclude state government employees. Instead, it allows a mix of central and state staff through a random selection process.
The poll body assured the court that the circular will be implemented in both letter and spirit, confirming that state government employees will also be part of the counting process scheduled for May 4.
The Election Commission further stated that concerns raised by the TMC regarding misuse or irregularities were unfounded and reiterated that the system is designed to ensure transparency and fairness.
West Bengal Assembly elections were conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes set for May 4 amid heightened political attention and security arrangements.
