TMC moves SC over use of Central staff in counting

 

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court’s order rejecting the plea challenging the deployment of only the Central Government’s employees as counting supervisors and assistants for vote counting on May 4.

The matter has been listed for urgent hearing on Saturday before a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi since counting of votes is scheduled to be held on May 4. The party sought an urgent hearing in the matter.

Mamata Banerjee’s party had challenged the poll duty assigned to the Central Government and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) employees as supervisors in the vote counting.

The high court told the TMC that appointing central or state officers as counting supervisors is the Election Commission’s prerogative. It said that if central officers are found to have manipulated counting and favoured the BJP, the party can file an election petition. In his ruling, Justice Krishna Rao held that there was no illegality in the EC’s decision to appoint counting supervisors and assistants from the Central Government or PSU employees instead of State Government staff.