The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the deletion of voters and manipulation of electoral rolls had altered the results of the West Bengal assembly elections. The party cited that over 3.5 lakh appeals against voter deletions are still pending before the Election Commission.
TMC's Allegations in Supreme Court
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the TMC, argued before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India that the electoral process in West Bengal was compromised. He claimed that names of genuine voters were removed from the rolls, while fake voters were added, directly impacting the outcome in several constituencies. The party submitted that the pending appeals highlight systemic flaws in the voter list revision process.
Impact on Election Results
The TMC contended that the irregularities were not isolated but widespread across the state. According to the party, the deletion of voters disproportionately affected their support base, leading to a shift in results in at least 20-25 assembly seats. They urged the court to direct the Election Commission to expedite the disposal of pending appeals and ensure transparency in the electoral roll revision.
Election Commission's Response
The Election Commission, represented by its counsel, denied any systemic manipulation. It stated that voter list revisions are conducted as per law and that all complaints are addressed promptly. The commission argued that the TMC's claims are unsubstantiated and that the election results were free and fair.
Supreme Court's Observation
The Supreme Court, after hearing both sides, observed that the issue of pending appeals is serious and directed the Election Commission to provide a status report on the disposal of the 3.5 lakh appeals within four weeks. The court also asked the commission to outline the mechanism for addressing such grievances in future elections. The matter has been listed for further hearing after six weeks.
Political analysts say the TMC's move is aimed at challenging the legitimacy of the election results, especially after the party lost power in some key regions. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for electoral dispute resolution in India.
