Amend law to facilitate e-filing of nomination: Tripura HC to poll panel

Agartala: Tripura HC on Thursday suggested that the state poll panel should amend the law to allow candidates to file nomination papers electronically. The court was hearing two petitions filed by the opposition Congress and CPM alleging that their candidates were being prevented from filing nominations for the panchayat polls on Aug 8. They requested the HC to facilitate online submission of nomination forms by the candidates.
However, the bench of Justice Arindam Lodh and Justice S D Purkayastha, declined to issue any direction, stating, “The court is to act according to the confines of the provisions prescribed in the statute. Courts cannot go beyond the statute to pass any direction upon the respondents to adopt such a mechanism which is not in the statute itself.”
“In our opinion, with the advancement of digital tech and over-increasing criminalization in politics, now is high time for EC to bring necessary amendments in law, making suitable provisions so that candidates willing to contest elections may file nomination through electronic means,” the judges said.