New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Calcutta High Court order directing the West Bengal State Election Commission to accept nominations for the May 14 panchayat polls through emails. The Bench said the SEC should ensure that the May 14 polls is conducted in “absolute fairness”. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud while staying the High court order date May 8, restrained the SEC from notifying the results of over 20,000 candidates belonging to Trinamul who were sought to be elected unopposed.
The Bench acting on an appeal from the SEC against the High Court order said the SEC should ensure that the May 14 polls is conducted in " absolute fairness, keeping in view the concept of purity of an election in a democracy. The apex court bench passed the direction while observing that it was "worried" with the manner in which 20,000 odd candidates (roughly 34 % of the seats) mostly belonging to the Trinamul party were declared elected unopposed and also the directions of the High Court for online filing of nominations.
