The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the Bhabanipur bypolls slated to take place on September 30th. In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in court, which claimed that the Election Commission in a statement had noted that it had decided to hold a by-election to Bhabanipur constituency “considering the constitutional exigency and special request from state of West Bengal", Calcutta HC served this verdict.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, however, passed adverse comments against the Chief Secretary of the West Bengal government for writing to the ECI seeking to expedite the bypolls.
Last week, the court pulled up the Election Commission and turned down the affidavit filed by the poll body on ‘prioritising’ the September 30 bypolls in the Bhabanipur assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, the suspension was also demanded by Bengal BJP Vice President Dilip Ghosh on Monday, following an alleged attack by the Trinamool Congress. He said there is no point to hold the elections if the state administration under Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led government cannot conduct an unbiased election.
Ghosh claims that he was attacked while campaigning for the Bhabanipur by-poll, said that the election must be held when the "Election Commission would be able to provide security to the candidates and voters of the Bhabanipur constituency. Till then the elections must stand cancelled".
Ghosh said that his security officials had to take out their guns to stop the attackers. He went on to allege that BJP leader Arjun Singh was also surrounded by the attackers and was forced to leave the venue of the campaign midway.
"The Election Commission is aware of everything. We have complained to them several times in Delhi and Kolkata. Despite this, no security arrangement was made," said the BJP leader.
"There is no point to hold polls if we cannot reach out to voters. People are living in constant fear. If an MP is being attacked, I cannot think that a common person will come out to vote. The election should be stand cancelled as an unbiased poll cannot be conducted," he added.
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