On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court ruled against a petition from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that challenged the Election Commission's (EC) directive to deploy central government and public sector unit (PSU) employees for vote counting in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Polling for the 294-member Assembly occurred in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting set for May 4. Justice Krishna Rao stated that the EC has the authority to appoint counting supervisors and assistants from either state or central government staff. The TMC argued that the communication issued on April 30 was without jurisdiction and aimed to create apprehension. However, the court found no merit in the TMC's claims, emphasizing that the EC's actions were valid under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The court also dismissed concerns about potential bias, noting the presence of various personnel during the counting process, which mitigates the risk of undue influence.