Calcutta HC pulls up EC over election symbol reassignment in Nandigram bypoll

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Election Commission over reassignment of the 'envelope' symbol to the newly formed Democratic Trinamool Congress from the ISF, observing that the poll panel "should act fairly".

Court questions reassignment of ‘envelope’ symbol

Noting that there are 183 free election symbols at the disposal of the EC, the court asked what was the reason for the Commission to give away the ‘envelope’ symbol to a party contesting the by-election in West Bengal's Nandigram, where the ISF has also fielded its candidate.

The court verbally observed that the symbol should have been kept reserved.

"The authority should act fairly," Justice Krishna Rao observed.

EC seeks time to explain symbol allotment

The high court adjourned hearing in the matter until Friday on a prayer by the EC’s counsel for taking instruction on why a notification was not issued for allotment of symbols for the bypolls.

Justice Rao asked why the EC was creating a dispute by allotting the ‘envelope’ symbol to the new party.

ISF challenges EC decision in court

"Your authority is pinching the persons and creating legal proceedings; is this the way of the authority to work?" Justice Rao told the EC’s lawyer during the hearing of the ISF petition, challenging the reassignment of the ‘envelope’ symbol.

"Every time for one reason or another you are compelling the persons to come to court," he observed.

The EC’s counsel stated that the choice is upon the petitioners who contest the elections to choose a symbol, a claim which the petitioner's lawyer contested, saying it is the commission that finally allots the symbol.

Bypoll to the Nandigram assembly seat, vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is scheduled for October 6.