A PIL has reached the Supreme Court challenging the appointment of a senior IPS officer as election observer in West Bengal. The plea raises questions over neutrality and seeks his removal from poll duty.
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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s decision to appoint Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma as an Election Observer for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
The petition, filed by Aditya Das late last night, raises concerns over the officer’s neutrality. It alleges that Ajay Pal Sharma is “highly partisan” and has been seen threatening political candidates. According to the petitioner, this conduct goes against the basic expectations from an election observer.
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The plea refers to Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It explains that an Election Observer is meant to “watch the conduct of elections” and act as a neutral safeguard. The role is designed to strengthen public trust in the fairness of elections. The petitioner argues that Sharma’s alleged behaviour is in direct conflict with these responsibilities and requests the Supreme Court to cancel his appointment and ensure strict neutrality in such postings.
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The controversy gained attention after the BJP’s West Bengal unit posted on social media two days ago about Ajay Pal Sharma’s deployment as police observer in South 24 Parganas. The post described him as an “encounter specialist” and referred to him as the “Singham of UP police.”
The same post also claimed that Sharma had “read the riot act” to family members of TMC candidate Jehangir Ali. Soon after, videos showing the officer issuing warnings began circulating on social media platforms. This added to the debate around his role and conduct.
The Trinamool Congress has strongly opposed the appointment of Ajay Pal Sharma as election observer. The party has expressed concern over his alleged actions and questioned the decision of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the matter had already reached the judiciary at an earlier stage. Just a day before the PIL in the Supreme Court, the Calcutta High Court refused to hear a plea challenging Sharma’s appointment. The High Court observed that it could not intervene in the ongoing election process.
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