Kolkata, April 16 -- The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to place on record the notification authorising the appointment of assistant professors as presiding officers for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, while questioning the legal basis of such deployment.
Hearing a petition by a group of assistant professors, Justice Krishna Rao criticised the poll panel for failing to produce supporting documents and remarked that Section 26 of the Representation of the People Act could not be interpreted so broadly as to justify indiscriminate appointments.
"You can appoint judges also under Section 26. I am ready to go," the court observed, expressing concern over shifting positions in ECI notifications.
The petitioners, represented by senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, argued that earlier ECI guidelines discouraged deploying Group A-equivalent officers, including teaching staff, for polling duties without recorded reasons. They contended that assistant professors were being compelled to serve as presiding officers contrary to such norms.
The ECI opposed the plea, citing procedural timelines and warning that interference at this stage could disrupt the electoral process. The court, however, said the legality of the action must be examined regardless of timing and posted the matter for further hearing
on April 17.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.