The Calcutta High Court issued a peremptory writ directing election returning officers and district police authorities in Purba Medinipur to ensure unhindered nomination filing for Indian National Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the upcoming Nandigram assembly bypoll. The order followed urgent legal pleadings alleging administrative intimidation and arbitrary procedural objections designed to obstruct the candidate’s entry.
Justice Amrita Sinha observed during the hearing that democratic franchise demands equitable opportunity for all registered political candidates, warning that state agencies must maintain absolute neutrality. The court mandated the deployment of central paramilitary escorts to accompany the candidate to the returning officer’s chamber to ensure physical safety and procedural transparency.
Opposition political figures welcomed the judicial intervention as an essential check against local administrative excesses during high-stakes electoral contests. State returning officers subsequently confirmed that nomination papers were received and entered into official scrutiny logs in accordance with the court’s explicit directives.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/top-news-of-the-day-september-24-2026/article71503849.ece