The Calcutta High Court today expressed happiness that the legal tussle between the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission (SEC) has gone to the Supreme Court and said it was fed up with the case.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, which has been hearing the case between the government and the SEC over holding of panchayat elections in the state, said "entire India is looking at this case.
"We are happy that it has gone to the Supreme Court. At least there will some verdict now. We are fed up with the case," the Chief Justice said even as the there was a war of words between the counsels of the government and the SEC and its petition in the apex court during pendency of the case in the high court.
Urging the senior counsels to stop their verbal duel, the Chief Justice said "enough is enough for this court."
The bench directed that the matter be listed on Friday and that it would be taken up after the matter before the Supreme Court was over and decided.
The Chief Justice had earlier also expressed his displeasure at the continuous tussle between the two constitutional bodies and had several times urged both parties to sit across the table to resolve the issues.
Following differences between the state government and the SEC, the latter went to court seeking a three-phase election and 800 companies of central forces.
A single bench of the high court allowed the petition of the SEC, which was challenged by the state government in the division bench.
The bench upheld the decision of conducting the election in three phases, but directed that it would be the state's prerogative to arrange forces from either the Centre or from other states.
It also clarified its order later upholding the supremacy of the SEC in holding the panchayat polls.
The bench had said that while the SEC would decide on the requirement of forces for the polls, the state would make the arrangements and it would be its prerogative from where it would procure forces, the Centre or other states.
The state had written to three states for forces but did not get a favourable response, following which it asked the Centre to provide 300 companies of central armed police.
The Centre, however, expressed its inability to provide any forces.
