When Calcutta HC reminds EC of TN Seshan – Times of India

Kolkata News

The flawed decision to conduct an eight phase Bengal poll amid the pandemic has boomeranged on Election Commission with even the Calcutta high court losing its patience over the gross failure to enforce Covid appropriate norms even as infections spike alarmingly. Calcutta HC didn’t mince words reminding EC about the illustrious TN Seshan who held the Chief Election Commissioner post in the 1990s and effectively read out the riot act to errant politicians.

The court remarked that EC must act like Seshan or the court will be forced to do so. EC’s defence of the eight phase poll rests on the same model being followed in 2016. But the situation is vastly different today. In a pandemic, elections have to be wound up quickly and campaigns kept short and digital. One phase polling was done in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry while Assam underwent three phases but polling, mercifully, was completed in the space of 10 days.

Also read | West Bengal elections 2021: You act like Seshan or we will, Calcutta HC tells Election Commission

To make matters worse in Bengal is the heated political campaigning and accompanying violence. It is only now, at this belated stage, that leaders are calling off their rallies. The diversion of health workers and other frontline officials for polling duty raises doubts whether testing, disease surveillance and healthcare capacity expansion works are being sufficiently ramped up. EC cannot shy away from blame for the situation now. It is doubtful whether even the Calcutta HC can fix things at this late stage. Even without the pandemic, the Bengal episode is a lesson to complete state polls in one to three phases and within a week and get on with the business of governance.

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Email

END OF ARTICLE

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-editorials/when-calcutta-hc-reminds-ec-of-tn-seshan/