SC rejects plea to advance hearing on Bengal SIR ahead of byelections

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to advance the hearing of pleas, concerning the pendency of appeals arising from the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, ahead of the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. A three-member bench of CJI Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana declined a request to take up the matter urgently.

"These are only byelections," the bench observed while refusing to advance the hearing. The petitioner's side sought an early hearing on the ground that the byelections were imminent and any decision concerning the electoral rolls could have a bearing on the electoral process.

The bench indicated that the two constituencies were witnessing only byelections and declined to alter the schedule fixed for hearing the larger challenge to the SIR exercise.