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“People Know Power of Vote,” Says CJI on Bengal Polls (Image Source: Internet)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has termed the 92.03% voter turnout—coupled with extremely low levels of violence—during the West Bengal Assembly elections as a major victory for democracy. Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked that the people have now realized their power and are raising their voices through the ballot.
During the hearing, the CJI stated that citizens ought to participate in democracy, and such a massive voter turnout demonstrates that people are conscious of their rights. He further noted that people are now eschewing violence and are instead articulating their views through democratic means.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee asserted that a large number of migrant workers returned to cast their votes because they feared that if they failed to do so, their names might be struck off the electoral rolls.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that it is imperative to respect the democratic process; otherwise, the fundamental spirit of democracy would be undermined.
The Election Commission also received commendation from the Court. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the security forces had done an excellent job in ensuring peaceful polling.
During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process conducted prior to the elections, the total number of voters had declined by approximately 12%. Hundreds of thousands of people were removed from the rolls on the grounds of “logical discrepancies”—a move that subsequently sparked controversy.
The Supreme Court had previously issued an order granting voting rights to individuals whose cases were cleared by the tribunals. However, reports suggest that very few people were actually able to avail themselves of this provision.
The Court has now directed that all pending appeals—those yet to be adjudicated—be heard expeditiously; if found to be valid, the voters' names are to be reinstated on the electoral rolls.
The second phase of polling is scheduled for April 29. All eyes are now fixed on whether this trend of peaceful and record-breaking voter turnout will continue in the subsequent phases as well.
