New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India to appoint Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma as an Election Observer for the West Bengal Assembly elections. The petition has been filed by one Aditya Das.
The petitioner contends that the conduct of Ajay Pal Sharma “stands in stark violation of the functions of an observer” under Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It is alleged that the officer is “highly partisan” and has been threatening political candidates.
Referring to Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the petitioner submits that an Observer is expected to “watch the conduct of elections” and is envisaged as a “neutral institutional safeguard, whose presence is meant to reinforce public confidence in the conduct of elections.”
The plea seeks appropriate directions from the Court to set aside the appointment and to ensure that election observers remain independent and impartial in the discharge of their duties.
A 2011-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Sharma has earned the moniker ‘Singham’ and a reputation as an “encounter specialist” for his approach towards criminals. Currently posted as Deputy Inspector General in Prayagraj, he has been assigned to the sensitive South 24 Parganas district for the West Bengal Assembly elections, which is considered a stronghold of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The controversy gained momentum after the BJP’s West Bengal unit posted on social media referring to the officer as an “encounter specialist” and the “Singham of UP Police”, claiming that Sharma, deployed in South 24 Parganas, had “read the riot act” to the family members of Trinamool Congress candidate Jehangir Ali.
Videos have since surfaced on social media appearing to show the officer issuing stern warnings, prompting a sharp reaction from the ruling Trinamool Congress, which has opposed the appointment.
A day prior to the Supreme Court filing, the Calcutta High Court refused to entertain a plea challenging Sharma’s appointment, stating that it cannot interfere with the ongoing poll process.
The matter is now before the Supreme Court.
Case Details:
- Court: Supreme Court of India
- Case Title: Aditya Das v. Election Commission of India
- Diary No.: 26135/2026
- Nature of Matter: Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of an Election Observer
