Calcutta HC stays West Bengal panchayat poll process till further orders
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday stayed till further orders the ongoing panchayat election process in West Bengal.
While staying the election process, Justice Subrata Talukdar also sought from the State Election Commission (SEC) by Monday, April 16, a comprehensive status report on the poll process, detailing the number of nominations filed and the percentage of nominations rejected, among other information.
The court said it would hear on April 16 the pleas challenging the SEC's decision to withdraw its April 9 notification, which had extended the date for filing nominations by a day.
Justice Talukdar had on April 10 stayed the withdrawal of SEC's April 9 notification, directing the Commission to treat its order of cancellation as kept in abeyance.
Justice Talukdar also imposed a cost of Rs five lakh on the BJP for misrepresentation. He held that the BJP had moved both the high court and the Supreme Court on similar pleas and likened its conduct to "forum hopping".
The apex court had on directed the BJP to approach the Calcutta High Court with its grievances over the deadline for filing of nominations for the panchayat polls in West Bengal. Apart from the BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress too has moved the high court challenging the SEC's decision.
Trinamool Congress MP and lawyer Kalyan Bandopadhyay said, "The HC has upheld my plea that the BJP kept it in the dark about filing two cases in two courts simultaneously. It ordered the BJP to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh within this week. The HC has also asked the West Bengal State Election Commission to file a status report within April 16 while directing the state poll panel to stop the election process till that date."
The ruling party, however, will move the division bench challenging the single bench's order.
BJP leaders Babul Supriyo and Mukul Roy lauded the HC order. "The Trinamool made a mockery of the election process by unleashing violence on Opposition candidates. The HC has stopped it. We welcome the order wholeheartedly."
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, "We salute the HC order. What can be a greater institution in democracy than court? The HC paid heed to our prayer and gave the ruling. We are indebted to the HC."
