Immediately after the elections, though, it supposedly realized that holding bye-elections in a pandemic may be dangerous and dithered, putting Mamata’s re-election at risk. Immense pressure was put on the EC and it finally relented.
The Election Commission of India has filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court in the suo motu case In Re Cognizance for Extension of Limitation arising out of the challenge faced by the country on account of Covid-19.
During the hearing of the plea filed by Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan challenging recognition of his uncle Pasupati Kumar Paras as the party leader, the Solicitor General appearing on behalf of the Union of India has objected vehemently on the maintainability of the present writ petition.
Adv Shashank Shekhar Jha filed the plea in Supreme Court seeking a National Investigation Agency to probe into Congress Parties alleged "tool kit" to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Modi & Centre over handling of Covid pandemic.
The Bombay High Court has recently said that candidates, who are elected unopposed in local body elections, are also required to furnish accounts of election expenses incurred by them.
As news of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s younger brother Ashim Banerjee’s death due to Covid-19 spread across the state, it was suddenly clear how much the recent elections and other religious festivities around the country have affected the fragile health infrastructure of the state.
The High Court observed that though the issues raised in the PIL has been diluted to some extent after the declaration of the Assembly result and the role of the Election Commission as on the date is over
“The prophylactic 'SMS' against Covid-19 – Sanitiser, Mask and Social Distancing – was unfortunately lost in the din of the electoral campaigns. There is a general sentiment that we let our guard down, but we cannot let it happen again," observed Kerala High Court on Friday.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court of India, seeking direction to the Election Commission of India to submit its opinion to the Governor of Manipur on 12 legislators who had been disqualified from the Manipur assembly but continue to function as members of the House.