The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday (20 June) a plea by the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) questioning the Calcutta High Court’s direction to it (the State Election Commission) on the requisition and the deployment of central forces during the panchayat elections in the state.
Vacation Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh posted the matter by the State Election Commission for hearing on Tuesday (20 June) on a mention by the senior advocate Meenakshi Arora appearing for the SEC.
As another lawyer appearing for the West Bengal government mentioned another petition by the West Bengal government challenging the same order of the High Court, the Vacation Bench said that one petition is enough. As Meenakshi Arora mentioned the SEC’s plea on the High Court order relating to the requisition and deployment of the central forces within 48 hours, the Vacation Bench said that the deadline 48 hours has passed and SEC could move High Court for more time.
Arora said that the SEC is challenging the High Court’s order as it (High Court) has directed on the area-wide deployment of forces and this is not how it (deployment) is done. She urged the court to hear the matter on Tuesday. The Bench observed, “State can do it.” The Mamata Banerjee government too has filed two petitions on Saturday against the deployment of the central forces while the State Election Commission has filed one challenging the high court order.
Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, is the respondent in the two petitions by the State government, while Dipankar Rit and others are respondents in the petition filed by SEC