The Calcutta High Court invalidated the Election Commission of India’s choice to designate college teachers as presiding officers for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in the state. Justice Krishna Rao, a single-judge bench, annulled the ECI’s directive. The Commission had selected assistant professor-level college teachers to serve as presiding officers for the imminent Assembly polls, with training already underway for many.
The court clarified that teachers who completed the training must serve as presiding officers, while those who hadn’t undergone training should not be appointed. In response to the Commission’s notification, some college teachers challenged the appointments, questioning their validity. During the hearing, the Commission’s counsel acknowledged previous instances of appointing college teachers but failed to provide a compelling reason for the necessity of these appointments.
Justice Rao, while setting aside the Commission’s notification, suggested that the ECI could assign college teachers other election-related tasks based on their service grades and pay scales. The West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled for April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes on May 4, coinciding with elections in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
