Quashing notification, Calcutta HC directs State Election Commission to reschedule new dates for filing of nominations

NewsBharati    21-Apr-2018
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Kolkata, April 21: Quashing the State Election Commissions order of cancelling the notification for extension of filling the nominations for panchayat polls in West Bengal, the Kolkata HC has directed it to allow nominations by issuing a fresh notification.

 

The court has directed the commission to reschedule the dates for panchayat election process and accordingly conduct the polls.

Justice Subrata Talukdar held that that petitions, filed by the BJP, CPI(M) and other opposition parties, challenging the cancellation of notification are maintainable and asked the poll panel to issue fresh notification extending the date for filing nominations.

The nomination process for the panchayat polls ended on April 9, but it was extended by a day by the SEC the same evening following a Supreme Court court order on petitions alleging that candidates backed by opposition parties were being prevented from filing nominations.

The West Bengal government and ruling Trinamool Congress had objected to the extension by the SEC, which had cited a Supreme Court direction to "allay apprehensions of intending candidates" in its notification extending the nomination process by a day.

The Opposition welcomed the Calcutta High Court verdict. “It is victory for the people of the state who believe in democracy. The high court has quashed the state election commission’s April 10 notification which has cancelled its earlier order to extend the last date of nominations. Today the court has asked the state election commission to extend the date of filing nominations to allow all those Opposition candidates who could not file their nominations. We welcome the high court verdict,” said state BJP general secretary Pratap Banerjee who had moved the court against the state election commission’s April 10 notification.

The notification, which referred to the apex court order, was withdrawn by the SEC on April 10 morning.

The panchayat elections in West Bengal were to be held in three phases from May 1 to May 5 and the counting of votes was scheduled on May 8.