Kolkata, 06 October (H.S.) : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday sought the views of petitioners in several pending public interest litigations before deciding whether Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) held in administrative custody under previous court orders can be deployed for the upcoming Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporation elections. The West Bengal State Election Commission approached the high court after encountering a shortage of voting machines required to conduct the civic polls.

A substantial number of EVMs remain stored under the custody of district administrations pursuant to judicial directives issued in earlier litigations filed by the Left Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which alleged irregularities in previous municipal and panchayat elections. A division bench presided over by Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge heard the commission’s plea on Tuesday. The poll panel is finalizing arrangements for the civic elections, with voting for Kolkata and Howrah expected to be held after the Durga Puja festival, followed by phased polling in other municipalities across the state.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Saptangshu Basu, representing the State Election Commission, submitted that the pending litigations have lost practical relevance and sought permission to utilize the machines currently kept in reserve. Opposing the plea, advocate Sabyasachi Chatterjee, appearing for the Left Front-backed petitioners, questioned the implications for those pending matters under altered political circumstances.

Addressing the petitioners, the Chief Justice observed that if the underlying cases were withdrawn, the court could proceed to decide on the deployment of the machines. Advocate Chatterjee requested time to seek instructions and convey the petitioners' formal stance to the bench. Granting the prayer, the high court adjourned the matter and scheduled the next hearing for Monday. The election commission's operational timeline for the upcoming municipal polls remains largely contingent on the court’s decision regarding the release of these EVMs.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh