Mamata Banerjee, others can file fresh pleas on victory margin being less than deletion of votes: SC

New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Monday said former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and others can file fresh applications regarding their claim that the victory margins were less than the deletion of votes during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in various assembly constituencies.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions after senior advocate and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged that in 31 seats, victory margins were less than the number of votes deleted.

The Election Commission opposed the submissions, saying that the remedy was an election petition, and the poll panel can be held accountable for issues related to the SIR and the consequential appeals against the addition or deletion of votes.

In the recently concluded assembly elections in the state, the BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, while TMC won 80 seats.

The state registered a record voter turnout of above 90 per cent in the polls.

The apex court bench was hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Mamata Banerjee, related to the SIR of electoral rolls in the state.

CEO Manoj Agarwal to take charge as chief secretary of Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP govt

Kolkata | West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal was appointed the chief secretary of the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in the state, according to an official order issued on Monday.

Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, helmed the EC-mandated SIR exercise in the state in the run-up to the assembly polls in which around 91 lakh voters were removed from the electoral rolls.

Incumbent Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala was named Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, the order stated.

Nariwala, a 1993-batch IAS, was named the chief secretary of West Bengal by the poll body, removing Nandini Chakravorty from the position of the state's top bureaucrat.

The BJP came to power for the first time in the state after handing a stunning defeat to the Trinamool Congress. The saffron party secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, reducing the TMC to 80 seats.