The Election Commission on Monday submitted a report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court on the proposed schedule of the bypoll for the Maniktala Assembly seat in Bengal.

Sadhan Pande of the Trinamool Congress had won from Maniktala in 2021 and
he passed away in February 2022.

Pande’s win had been challenged by rival BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey through an election petition in Calcutta High Court. In view of the election petition, a bypoll couldn’t be conducted and the constituency has been unrepresented.

Suvendu Dey, a local voter, moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the EC to hold the bypoll.

On May 18, the court gave the last opportunity to the Election Commission to place before it the Maniktala bypoll schedule.

When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the EC’s counsel submitted a report on the byelection schedule to the bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice K.V. Viswanathan. The EC told the court that the report was in the sealed cover because of the model code of conduct in force.

Justice Viswanathan then said in view of the schedule fixed by the EC, the matter ought to be given a quietus.

Accordingly, the court disposed of the matter, saying no further orders were required to be passed.