Abhishek Banerjee questions BJP mandate, seeks fresh Bengal polls

Abhishek Banerjee urged the Supreme Court to restore the TMC government and order fresh West Bengal elections. His demand challenges the BJP government's mandate amid unresolved questions over voter-roll scrutiny.

In Short

• Supreme Court said its earlier Bengal permission was merely an interim arrangement
• Bihar proceedings did not finally settle every question in revision disputes
• Delhi plea alleged opacity in notices issued during electoral roll revision

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee has questioned the electoral legitimacy of the BJP government in West Bengal and urged the Supreme Court to restore his party's previous administration and order fresh elections within six months, the Press Trust of India reported.

His remarks came after the Supreme Court said it had not yet ruled on the legality of the Election Commission's use of the "logical discrepancy" category to scrutinise voters' details during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said its earlier permission for the exercise in West Bengal was only an interim arrangement. It also said its decision in the Bihar electoral roll revision matter was not a final determination of every issue arising from the process.

Reacting to a report on the court's observations, Banerjee wrote on social media: "What a convenient democracy! If a manipulated mandate can produce a full-fledged government, what remains of electoral legitimacy? By this logic, the present State Government should be treated as INTERIM."

"The SC must restore the previous elected government in West Bengal and direct fresh elections within six months, ensuring that every eligible voter wrongfully excluded from the electoral rolls is reinstated. Otherwise, the only thing LOGICAL about this reasoning is how conveniently it overlooks the DISCREPANCIES," he added.

According to PTI, the Supreme Court made the observations while hearing a plea alleging a lack of transparency in notices issued to voters during the ongoing electoral roll revision in Delhi. Senior advocate DS Naidu, appearing for the Election Commission, submitted that the bench had examined every stage of the process and upheld its validity.

Justice Bagchi said: "Bihar is not a final determination of every question arising in these proceedings. In Bihar, the Election Commission had not initially undertaken logical discrepancy as a category. We permitted it as an interim arrangement in West Bengal. We have not finally adjudicated upon the legality of the logical discrepancy exercise."

Banerjee has consequently sought the restoration of the previous elected government and fresh elections within six months, while the Supreme Court has clarified that it is yet to make a final ruling on the legality of the "logical discrepancy" exercise.

- Ends