Supreme Court Refuses Relief To Mamata Banerjee Over Counting Staff Issue

Delhi/Hyderabad, May 2: The Supreme Court of India has declined to grant relief to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a dispute over the appointment of vote-counting staff, effectively upholding the Election Commission’s position.

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Court Upholds EC’s Authority

A special bench comprising Justice P S Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that:

• The Election Commission of India has the authority to decide on counting staff
• The April 13 circular cannot be termed invalid

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• No further directions from the court were necessary

Background Of The Case

• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) challenged the EC’s decision
• The EC circular stated that counting personnel would be drawn from central government staff
• Concerns were raised over possible irregularities

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Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had also dismissed the plea, finding no irregularity in the EC’s decision.

EC’s Clarification

Before the apex court, the Election Commission clarified that:

• Counting teams would include a mix of central and state government employees
• The Returning Officer, a state government official, would oversee the process
• Appointment powers remain within the established framework

Court Questions TMC Stand

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for TMC, argued that the party became aware of the circular only recently and sought its proper implementation.

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However, the bench questioned the necessity of approaching the court if the demand was merely for implementation of the same circular, and subsequently dismissed the petition.