WB civic polls: SC tells BJP to approach SEC

In a setback to the BJP, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere in the next month’s panchayat elections in West Bengal, telling it and other opposition parties to approach the State Election Commission with their grievances.

The Bench of Justices RK Agrawal and Manohar Sapre even refused to extend the last date for nominations that ends on Monday. “We do not interfere with the election process but we have granted liberty to all candidates to approach State Election Commission today itself for necessary relief,” it said.

The BJP had last Friday told the apex court that “democracy is being murdered” in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was engaged in large scale poll violence and not allowing its candidates to file nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls.

It had also alleged that the assistant panchayat electoral registration officers appointed by the West Bengal State Election Commission were refusing to give nomination forms to BJP candidates. Its West Bengal unit had sought availability of nomination papers online, extension of the last date for filing these papers and deployment of paramilitary forces in the state in the run-up to the polls scheduled on May 1, 3, and 5.

Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, accompanied by ten lawyers, had argued on behalf of the BJP.

“We do not interfere with the election process but we have granted liberty to all candidates to approach State Election Commission today itself for necessary relief,” the SC Bench said