HC notice to Suvendu on Mamata’s plea

The Calcutta high court issued a notice to leader of the opposition in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari on an election petition filed by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee challenging the Nandigram assembly poll result. Justice Shampa Sarkar admitted Banerjee’s petition. The court will hear the case on August12. The court also issued notices to the Election Commission, the state electoral officer and the returning officer with a direction to keep all election-related records intact till the case was heard. Justice Sarkar passed the order after Banerjee’s counsel requested the court to pass an interim order for preservation of records as election authorities were otherwise required to preserve these for only six months after polls. The CM in her petition had urged a court-monitored recount of votes in Nandigram seat where BJP candidate Adhikari was declared elected by a margin of around 2,000 votes.