A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court has instructed all involved parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, to submit affidavits in response to an election petition filed by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee contested in the Bhabanipur assembly constituency and was defeated by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of over 15,000 votes. The petition challenging the election results has been accepted and is set for a detailed hearing soon.
Justice Gaurang Kant, presiding over the case, found the petition to be compliant with the Representation of the People Act, 1951, after a preliminary review. All parties have been directed to file affidavits within the next four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for 12 weeks later. Additionally, the court has ordered the preservation of CCTV footage from the counting center and the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines used during the polling in Bhabanipur.
During the proceedings, Justice Kant inquired if Mamata Banerjee’s counsel had any objections to him hearing the case, given his brother’s affiliation with the BJP. The counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, confirmed no objections, and the hearing proceeded. Notably, despite calls from Banerjee to challenge the election results, the majority of defeated Trinamool candidates have refrained from legal action, accepting the people’s mandate. Out of 211 defeated candidates, only eight, including Banerjee, have filed election petitions with the Calcutta High Court.
