SC to Hear Plea Against HC Order on Central Forces’ Deployment in West Bengal Panchayat Polls

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea on Tuesday challenging the order of the Calcutta High Court. The High Court had directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition and deploy central forces throughout West Bengal for the upcoming panchayat elections.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing the SEC, mentioned the matter before a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and M M Sundresh on Monday, seeking an urgent hearing. Arora informed the court that the appeal against the order was filed last Friday but was not taken up.

The High Court, on June 15, had issued the directive to the SEC to requisition and deploy central forces across all districts of West Bengal within 48 hours due to the violence that occurred during the nomination filing process for the panchayat elections scheduled for July 8.

Expressing concern over the lack of progress in identifying sensitive areas and considering the SEC’s statement that more time was required, the High Court stressed the urgency of the situation.

The court emphasized the need to protect the integrity of the election process and directed the Centre to deploy the necessary number of central forces, with the Union government bearing the cost and not charging the state for it. Court said, “Waiting any longer will cause more damage to the situation and will not aid in protecting the purity of the election process.”

In its order, the High Court directed the Centre to deploy the necessary number of central forces for the panchayat elections. It explicitly stated that the cost of this deployment would be covered by the Union government, with no burden placed on the state.