NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to give rival factions in the Trinamool Congress dispute reasonable time to present their evidence, but to ensure that the proceedings are completed in time for the upcoming West Bengal elections.The court’s direction came against the backdrop of the prolonged Shiv Sena name-and-symbol dispute. “We know what delay did in Shiv Sena,” the bench observed, stressing that the TMC dispute should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely, according to news agency ANI.A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal chief minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s decision concerning the use of the original TMC name and its traditional ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol.The court asked the Election Commission how much time it would need to complete the adjudication, particularly since its order was intended to operate for the current by-election.The bench said that while the dispute needed to be resolved within a reasonable timeframe, both sides must have adequate opportunity to place their evidence before the poll panel.
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Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mamata Banerjee, sought a stay on the Election Commission’s order, submitting that it had left his client without an effective remedy.“EC order has left me without a remedy,” Sibal said.The Supreme Court said it was conscious of the consequences of delay in disputes involving the identity of political parties and their election symbols.The court asked the Election Commission to provide the rival sides reasonable time to submit their evidence and complete the adjudication sufficiently ahead of the West Bengal elections.
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