Bengal: 110 complaints against EC, not one accepted by courts

The Election Commission (EC) said 110 petitions were filed against it in the Calcutta High Court during the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, adding that the judiciary upheld all decisions taken by the poll authority.

According to official data, the petitions were filed between 15 March, when the Assembly election schedule was announced, and the completion of the electoral process.

"There was no adverse order against the EC in any of the matters," an Election Commission official said.

The two-phase Assembly elections, held in April, saw the BJP end the Trinamool Congress' (TMC) 15-year rule in the state and form the government for the first time.

During the high-profile election, the Election Commission faced legal challenges and criticism, particularly from the TMC, which accused the poll panel of conducting a biased election in favour of the BJP.

The Commission was also criticised over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the TMC alleging that the exercise was intended to disenfranchise voters who did not support the BJP.

The party's opposition to the revision culminated in then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally appearing before a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to challenge the exercise.

The Election Commission has consistently maintained that the Special Intensive Revision was aimed at removing the names of deceased, duplicate, shifted and absent voters, as well as foreign nationals, from the electoral rolls.