'High voter turnout in Bengal and Tamil Nadu a true sign of democracy', Supreme Court expresses happiness

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Supreme Court has described the 92 percent voter turnout in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections as a sign of the country's robust democratic process. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi made the observation while hearing petitions challenging the special electoral roll amendment.

TMC MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee said that a positive development was the record voter turnout, as many migrant workers returned to the state to cast their votes, fearing their names would be removed from the electoral rolls. The court described the turnout as a positive sign.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that, except for a few isolated incidents, there was no major violence during the voting. Chief Justice Surya Kant said that as a citizen, he was pleased to see such a large turnout and urged people to actively participate in voting.

Emphasis on the power of vote in democracy

Chief Justice Surya Kant said that people must understand the power of their vote in a democracy. He said that when people vote in large numbers, violence decreases and this shows that the public is aware of its power.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also said the 92 percent voter turnout was historic and that security forces had done a good job controlling violence. He said the state has had a history of violence during previous elections, but this time the situation was better.

The Chief Justice also noted that Tamil Nadu also has a high voter turnout, which bodes well for democracy. Justice Bagchi added that voting is the core of democracy and must be protected and respected, otherwise the true spirit of democracy will be lost.

Arguments and minor disputes in court

During the hearing, Justice Bagchi praised the Election Commission and told senior lawyer D.S. Naidu that his client was being praised for the change this time. Kalyan Banerjee disagreed, saying that the Election Commission had been criticized in the Calcutta High Court for the past three days.

D.S. Naidu objected, saying Banerjee's allegations were false and that she was the one criticizing the Election Commission in court. Given the tense atmosphere, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the court to end the hearing so the matter would not escalate into a political debate.

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