Calcutta high court admits CM Mamata Banerjee’s poll plea, issues notice to Suvendu Adhikari

KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Wednesday admitted the election petition filed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the 2021 Nandigram assembly poll result.
Justice Shampa Sarkar held that the election-related petition was in order. The court will hear the case on August 12.
The court issued notices to BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, Election Commission, the state electoral officer and the returning officer with a direction to keep all election-related records intact till the court heard the case.
“Let notice be issued. The matter is made returnable on August 12, 2021. Pending the decision of the case, all documents, election papers, devices, video recordings etc connected with the election which is under challenge before this court shall be preserved by the concerned authority,” justice Sarkar ordered.
Justice Sarkar passed the order after Banerjee’’s counsel Soumendra Nath Mookherjee requested the court to pass an interim order for preservation of records as election authorities were otherwise required to preserve these for only six months after polls.
The CM in her petition of June 17 had urged a court-monitored recount of votes in Nandigram assembly seat where Trinamool-turned-BJP candidate Adhikari was declared elected by a margin of around 2,000 votes.
Banerjee made an online appearance in court on Wednesday complying with a Supreme Court order that requires the petitioner to present an election petition in person. Justice Sarkar noted that the said formality (of petitioner appearing) was over as Banerjee had appeared before justice Kausik Chanda, who was hearing the matter before recusing himself from the case.