Kolkata, Sept. 29 -- The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday extended the time granted to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to file his written statement in the election petition moved by Mamata Banerjee till October 1.
Mamata Banerjee - a CM for three terms - lost by a slender margin and challenged Adhikari's victory in the 2026 Assembly election from the Bhowanipore Assembly seat.
In 2021 too, she lost to Adhikari by a narrow margin in Nandigram and had to get reelected from Bhowanipore.
Justice Gaurang Kanth allowed Adhikari's plea seeking additional time to submit his response by Thursday.
The court had on August 4 granted four weeks to the respondent to file written statements. With that period expiring in the first week of September, Adhikari subsequently sought an extension.
The election petition challenges Adhikari's election and raises allegations relating to the electoral process, including alleged irregularities in the electoral roll and counting process.
In June, the court directed preservation of CCTV footage of the counting centre, along with EVMs and VVPAT machines used in the Constituency, pending adjudication of the election petition. The Election Commission also appeared before the court on Tuesday, as the poll panel is a respondent in the proceedings.
The case assumes importance as it directly concerns the validity of the election of Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee in the closely watched contest. The next stage will involve the filing of the respondents' written statements.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.