Election Commission of India

With the Election Commission of India conducting the West Bengal election in a long-drawn 8-phase exercise and the Uttar Pradesh panchayat poll amid the Covid-19 pandemic, several political parties have alleged biases in the poll body’s functioning.

The two-judge bench comprising Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice M.R. Shah pronounced its judgment in the Election Commission's plea against the Madras High Court's oral observations.

The Commission had filed an application in the Madras High Court against its oral observation and said that media reports of the Court’s oral comments had caused grave prejudice to it.

The Election Commission also said no one must be permitted to report on the proceedings of this Court that are not borne out by the record, especially when the detailed order is made available by the Court.

The Counsel informed the Court that they have already made a representation to the EC and that they have appreciated it. However, the Bench, while dismissing the plea, stated, “Certainly we can do, but we don’t want to do.”

The High Court bench while hearing the plea of Dr Vikram Singh issued notice to the Election Commission of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs and sought their response by April 30.

The Election Commission of India said to the High Court that judicial interference in poll matters is barred after the notification of elections as per Article 329B of the Constitution.

Advocate and social-political activist, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay striving for the development of socially-economically downtrodden people filed the petition to nullify the invalidated election results.

The Allahabad High Court has given the Election Commission of India four weeks to file its reply on a PIL filed against the legality of using election symbols in rallies and demonstrations by political parties.

The Allahabad High Court has sought the response of Election Commission on a plea by Shraddha Tripathi challenging the constitutional validity of Paras-10, 10A and 10-B of the Symbol Order 1968 on several counts interalia that said Paras are in conflict with the provisions of Rule-10 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.