The Calcutta high court on Wednesday dismissed the Indian Secular Front’s (ISF) petition challenging the Election Commission’s allotment of the “envelope” symbol to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress (DTMC) for the Nandigram Assembly by-election in West Bengal.
The ECI has announced bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6. Results will be declared on October 9. The campaigning will conclude on October 4.
“A bench of Justice Krishna Rao dismissed the petition filed by the ISF challenging the allotment of the ‘envelope’ symbol to the DTMC,” said a senior lawyer present in the courtroom.
The byelection in Nandigram was necessitated after West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the May assembly polls, decided to retain the second seat. For the upcoming by-polls, however, the poll body allotted the envelope symbol to the DTMC. “Every time, for one or the other reason, you are compelling the people to come to the court. The authorities should act impartially and fairly. Just four months ago it was allotted to one party. I am very fed up with regard to the authorities of this state now. Once the election starts every play starts,” the bench had observed last week during the hearing.
This comes days after the same bench of the Calcutta high court criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the case, observing that authorities should act in a way to avoid complications so that the court isn’t burdened. If there were 183 free symbols, why have you chosen the envelope symbol? You have 183 free symbols.
In its petition, the ISF had said that the “envelop” symbol was allotted to the party in March this year before the assembly elections. The ISF was allotted the “almirah” symbol.
