Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday faced Calcutta High Court's wrath for its failure to handle Bengal Assembly elections 2021 maintaining necessary COVID-19 protocols.
"During the virtual hearing of three petitions, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice T B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee pointed out that the Election Commissioner is not doing one-tenth of what TN Seshan had done," said Shamik Bagchi, advocate of the petitioner.
The former Chief Election Commissioner, TN Seshan, was known for his electoral efficiency. He had ruthlessly enforced the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and led the game-changing electoral reforms during the 1990s.
"We are not satisfied with the materials on record to state that the Election Commission of India and its officers on ground in West Bengal have enforced their circulars," it said.
The court said that the circulars of the ECI show the route map and the protocol for the political parties, their workers, the people at large and responsible management by the officers including the police and other forces under its command.
"Issuance of circulars and holding of meetings by themselves do not discharge the onerous responsibility of the ECI," the court observed. The bench also said it is sure that circulars are not mere advisories. The high court directed the ECI to file an affidavit by Friday listing the steps it has taken and its views on the issues raised by it.
On Wednesday, the EC turned down TMC's proposal of clubbing the remaining three phases of polls (VI, VII and VIII) into a single phase.