The leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP MLA, Suvendu Adhikari, filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking that the election petition filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Calcutta High Court challenging his election from the Nandigram constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections be transferred out of West Bengal.
Admitting Mamata Banerjee›s petition for hearing, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Adhikari, whose victory from Nandigram in the Assembly elections was challenged by her.
Justice Shampa Sarkar, who was hearing the case online, asked that a notice be served to the Commission, and the Returning Officer. She also asked that all the papers and Electronic Voting Machines related to poll be preserved.
“All documents, election papers, devices, video recordings connected with election under challenge in the court shall be preserved” by the Election Commission which is the custodian of the case, the high court said.
After the Election Commission rejected Banerjee›s appeal for a recount of the votes, she had challenged the results in court, and sought that Adhikari›s election be declared void. The Bengal CM has alleged corrupt practices by Adhikari including bribery, promotion of hatred and enmity, seeking votes on the basis of religion and booth capture.
The Calcutta High Court directed that Banerjee’s election petition would be taken up for hearing on 12 August.