Calcutta HC questions ECI move on TMC symbols

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Election Commission over reassignment of the ‘envelope’ symbol to the newly formed Democratic Trinamool Congress from the ISF, observing that the poll panel “should act fairly”.

Noting that the EC has 183 free election symbols at its disposal, the court asked why the Commission gave the ‘envelope’ symbol to a party contesting the by-election in West Bengal’s Nandigram, where the ISF has also fielded a candidate.

The court verbally observed that the symbol should have been kept reserved. “The authority should act fairly,” Justice Krishna Rao observed.

The High Court adjourned the hearing until Friday on a prayer by the EC’s counsel to take instructions on why a notification was not issued for allotment of symbols for the bypolls.

Justice Rao asked why the EC was creating a dispute by allotting the ‘envelope’ symbol to the new party.

“Your authority is pinching the persons and creating legal proceedings; is this the way of the authority to work?” Justice Rao told the EC’s lawyer during the hearing of the ISF petition, challenging the reassignment of the ‘envelope’ symbol.

“Every time for one reason or another you are compelling the persons to come to court,” he observed.

The EC’s counsel said the choice is on the petitioners who contest the elections to choose a symbol, a claim the petitioner’s lawyer contested, saying the commission ultimately allots the symbol.

Bypoll to the Nandigram assembly seat, vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is scheduled for October 6.