In a major setback to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of central government personnel as micro-observers during the vote counting process, upholding the decision of the Election Commission of India.
The petition filed by the TMC had sought to quash an April 13 circular issued by the ECI, which mandates that only central government employees and staff of public sector undertakings be deployed as micro-observers at counting centres. The party had raised concerns over neutrality and transparency in the counting process.
A bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi observed that there were no valid grounds to object to the deployment of central government officials, noting that such employees function strictly as per rules and are not guided by political loyalties, and advised the petitioners to repose trust in them.
The court further ruled that the ECI’s circular is constitutionally valid and falls within its discretionary powers, stating that the poll body is not obligated to consult political parties while selecting personnel for election duties, while also emphasizing that the presence of party agents at counting centres ensures adequate transparency in the process.
The development comes after the Calcutta High Court had earlier rejected a similar plea by the TMC, and gains significance ahead of the vote counting scheduled for May 4, 2026, which will now be conducted under the supervision of central government staff as per ECI norms.