The debate over who gets to sit at the counting tables in West Bengal has been settled—at least for now. The Calcutta High Court has refused to interfere with the election machinery’s decision to rely on Central government personnel for supervising the vote count.
The Trinamool Congress had pushed back against the arrangement, arguing that Central staff could be vulnerable to influence from the ruling party at the Centre. The Court, however, found that claim too speculative to stand on.
Justice Krishna Rao pointed out a simple but decisive reality: counting rooms are not closed-door operations run by a handful of officials. They are populated by multiple stakeholders—counting agents, micro-observers, and other personnel—making the idea of covert manipulation far-fetched. With so many eyes in the room, the Court said, the allegation doesn’t hold water.
The Bench also underscored that choosing who supervises the count is squarely within the authority of the Election Commission. Whether those officials come from the State or the Centre is a matter of administrative judgment, not legal infirmity. The Court saw no violation in opting for Central employees or public sector staff.
At the same time, the judges left the door open for future challenges. If, after the results are declared, there is concrete evidence of wrongdoing during counting, the aggrieved party can still approach the appropriate forum through an election petition.
The TMC had also questioned the authority of the Additional Chief Electoral Officer to issue the directive mandating Central staff at counting tables. But the Court dismissed this line of attack as well, noting that the law allows the Election Commission to delegate its functions. In that light, the officer’s order was well within bounds.
Adding another layer of reassurance, the Court noted that the counting process will be under CCTV surveillance, further reducing the scope for malpractice.
With polling turnout crossing an impressive 92% across two phases, the focus now shifts to counting day. And as things stand, that process will proceed under the supervision framework already laid down—Central officials included.
