August 21, 2018: Supreme Court has reserved its order on a plea by the West Bengal State Election Commission challenging the Calcutta High Court order allowing e-nominations for panchayat elections in the state.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud also declined to lift its stay on the notification of results of candidates elected unopposed to rural local bodies.
Not accepting the plea of the state government, Chief Justice Misra said that they will pronounce the order within a week or so.
The apex court had ordered the State Election Commission on May 10 not to notify the results of candidates declared elected unopposed.
Pointing to over 20,000 uncontested seats going to the ruling Trinamool Congress, senior counsel PS Patwalia told the court that such a large number of seats went uncontested because the candidates were obstructed by TMC workers from filing their nomination papers.
Appearing for the BJP, senior counsel Patwalia pointed to large-scale violence and irregularities in the conduct of the election. (AIR News)
