West Bengal Panchayat Elections: SC refuses to interfere in petition by BJP

The Supreme Court today refused to interfere in a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) highlighting the violence faced by their candidates who are seeking to contest Panchayat polls in the state of West Bengal..The order was passed today by a Bench of Justices RK Agrawal and AM Sapre..The Bench, however, granted the candidates liberty to approach the State Election Commission with their grievances..The petition had stated that BJP candidates were being refused nomination forms by the Assistant Panchayat Electoral Registration Officer appointed by the West Bengal State Election Commission, which is the authority tasked with superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for the conduct of all elections to the Panchayats and the Municipalities..It was the prayer of the petitioner that nomination forms be issued to the candidates of the BJP so as to enable them to file their nominations in the Panchayat Elections..The BJP had also prayed that immediate steps be taken to make arrangements for submission of nomination papers for the elections through e-mail..Further, the petitioner had sought police protection for their candidates so as to enable them to collect and deposit the nomination forms..Read the judgment below.