The Trinamool Congress approached the Supreme Court on Friday, challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order, which rejected the party’s plea against the Election Commission’s directive to deploy only central government and PSU employees for vote counting in the Assembly elections.

Polling for the 294-member Assembly was held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.

Justice Krishna Rao had dismissed the TMC’s plea on Thursday, citing that "It is the prerogative of the office of the EC to appoint the counting supervisor and counting assistant either from the state government or the central government".

Appearing for the TMC, counsel Kalyan Banerjee argued that the communication was issued without jurisdiction and was based on mere apprehension.

EC counsel D.S. Naidu contended that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, allows delegation of the Commission's functions and that the directive was valid.

He also submitted that the communication was issued on April 13, but the petition was filed only on April 30, close to the counting date, alleging that the move was intended to stall the process.

Naidu claimed that the petitioner's intention in filing the petition at this juncture is only to stall the counting on May 4.

Passing the order, Justice Rao stated that the court does not agree with the petitioner's (TMC's) allegation that its main opponent, the BJP, controls central government/central PSU employees, making them susceptible to suggestion and control by the Union government.

The court noted that apart from counting supervisors and assistants, micro observers, counting agents of candidates and other personnel would also be present in the counting hall.

"Thus, it is impossible to believe the allegation made by the petitioner," Justice Rao said.