“Changing Rules Whenever You Want”: Calcutta High Court To ECI In Plea Challenging Teachers' Deployment For 2026 WB Polls

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday pulled up the Election Commission over what it described as a repeatedly changing stand regarding deployment of personnel for election-related duties, while hearing a plea challenging the decision to engage college teachers for poll duty.

Justice Krishna Rao was considering a petition assailing the Commission's notification concerning deployment of teaching staff for election work.

During the hearing, the Court expressed concern over frequent changes in the Commission's position and referred to an earlier notification permitting appointment of judges as polling officers.

“Election Commission is changing its position again and again…According to the notification, EC has made provision for appointing judges as polling officers. Appoint us, we will go... You are changing the rules whenever you want,” Justice Rao orally remarked.

The Court further noted that the notification indicated that judges could also be assigned duties in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Appearing for the Commission, counsel submitted that the petition had been filed on the eve of the election process and there was insufficient time to identify and train fresh personnel for poll duty.

Rejecting the contention, Justice Rao observed that the timing of the petition could not be a ground to overlook alleged irregularities.

The Commission's counsel then informed the Bench that any interference with the impugned notification at this stage would require fresh appointments for poll duty across all 23 districts of the State.

Justice Rao questioned whether administrative inconvenience could justify an allegedly unreasonable notification.

Case: RUPA BANERJEE NEE SAMJPATI VS THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA AND ORS

Case No: WPA/9020/2026