Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 29: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court of India challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India to appoint Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma as an election observer for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The petitioner, Aditya Das, has alleged that the officer is “highly partisan” and accused him of threatening political candidates, raising concerns over the neutrality expected of election observers.

 

Referring to Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the plea emphasises that an observer’s role is to monitor the conduct of elections as a neutral institutional safeguard to strengthen public confidence. It contends that Sharma’s conduct is in “stark violation” of these responsibilities.

The petition seeks directions from the apex court to set aside the appointment and to ensure that election observers remain independent and impartial in discharging their duties.

The controversy intensified after the Bharatiya Janata Party West Bengal unit posted on social media describing Sharma as an “encounter specialist” and “Singham of UP police,” stating that he had been deployed as police observer in South 24 Parganas and had warned family members of Trinamool Congress candidate Jehangir Ali. Videos purportedly showing the officer issuing warnings have also surfaced online.

The Trinamool Congress has opposed the appointment, questioning the impartiality of the observer.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court had earlier refused to entertain a similar plea challenging Sharma’s appointment, observing that it could not interfere in the ongoing election process.