The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) challenging a Calcutta high court order that dismissed their petition against the Election Commission's directive to deploy central government and PSU employees for counting votes in the West Bengal Assembly election.
The AITC approached the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant with a request to constitute a bench on Saturday as the counting of votes in West Bengal is scheduled on May 4.
The party has questioned the requirement of central government and PSU employees at counting tables, apprehending bias and a possible distortion of the level playing field.
According to the petition, such a directive will 'significantly' alter the composition of personnel at the counting tables by disproportionately increasing the presence of individuals under the control of the Central Government.
The AITC has urged the top court to grant relief by addressing their concerns and has sought an interim direction to stay the ECI's directive.
