Calcutta HC: Free & fair polls EC’s top goal

KOLKATA:

Calcutta High Court

on Monday said ensuring free and fair elections should be the top goal of the Election Commission. The EC told the court that it would “ensure free and fair elections and will do everything needed for such purpose”.


A division bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Shampa Sarkar said: “It is a well-accepted proposition... that the courts will loathe interference in the matters touching elections, once a notification is issued and until the electoral process is completed and the results are declared. It is for the Election Commission of India to ensure free and fair elections with lawful authority.”

The bench was hearing a petition filed by former advocate-general Bimal Chatterjee, urging the court to step in to ensure “free and fair” polls.