New Delhi (TIP): With just days to go before votes are counted on May 4, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), are staring at a convergence of political, legal and administrative setbacks – intensified by a dramatic night of protests and counter-allegations over EVM security.
The first setback came on Wednesday, when multiple exit polls indicated a strong showing by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting it could dislodge the TMC after 15 years in power.
Pollster Matrize projected the BJP at 146–161 seats and the TMC at 125–140, hinting at a tight race but with an edge to the BJP. P-Marq went further, forecasting 150–175 seats for the BJP against 118–138 for the TMC. Poll Diary predicted a clearer victory for the BJP with 142–171 seats, while placing the TMC between 99–127. However, People’s Pulse offered a contrasting view, projecting the TMC retaining power with 177–187 seats, and the BJP at 95–110.
Banerjee dismissed the projections outright, alleging they were “fabricated” and part of a psychological campaign to demoralise her party cadre ahead of counting.
On Thursday, April 30, the TMC suffered a legal setback after the Calcutta High Court dismissed two petitions related to counting arrangements.
One plea challenged a directive mandating the inclusion of Central government or PSU employees as counting supervisors or assistants. The court said it found “no merit” in the petition, noting that no evidence was presented to show prejudice.
In a separate petition, TMC MLA Javed Khan questioned the shifting of a counting centre. The court ruled there was no illegality in relocating the venue from Gitanjali Stadium to Viharilal College.
The most dramatic developments unfolded late on April 30, when Banerjee herself reached an EVM strongroom at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur and stayed inside the premises for nearly four hours, leaving shortly after midnight.
Arriving as a candidate, she initially faced resistance from central forces before being allowed entry upto the permitted area. Banerjee said she rushed to the site after seeing visuals and receiving complaints of alleged “manipulations”.
“If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated,” she said, stressing the need for transparency and protection of votes.
Her visit capped a day of escalating tensions. Earlier, senior TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra strongroom complex, alleging that CCTV footage showed unauthorised individuals “fiddling with ballot papers”. The party also posted the clip on social media, calling it evidence of “electoral fraud”. Source: HT
No legislative vacuum on hate speeches: Supreme Court
New Delhi (TIP): The Supreme Court said the existing framework of criminal law adequately addresses the issue of hate speeches and no “legislative vacuum” exists warranting intervention.
“The contention that the field of hate speech remains legislatively unoccupied, is misconceived,” a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said.
The top court delivered its verdict on a bunch of petitions seeking action against those involved in hate speeches and also for mechanism to deal with such instances. The Bench said it would be open to the Centre and the competent legislative authorities to consider in their wisdom whether any further legislative or policy measures were warranted in light of the evolving societal challenges or to bring about suitable amendments as suggested by the Law Commission’s 267th report of March 2017. “While we decline to issue directions of the nature sought, we deem it appropriate to observe that the issues relating to hate speeches and rumour-mongering bear directly upon the preservation of fraternity, dignity and constitutional order,” Justice Nath said while pronouncing the verdict.
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