New Delhi: The Election Commission told the Supreme Court today, May 2, that a Bengal government nominee will be present during counting on May 4.“We are saying that State government nominee will be there. That will be followed even before all this,” the Election Commission’s counsel, Senior Advocate Dama Sheshadri Naidu, said, according to Bar and Bench.The Trinamool Congress, which is in power in Bengal, had moved Supreme Court against the Chief Electoral Officer’s decision to deploy only Union government employees as vote counting supervisors for the assembly elections in West Bengal.Its plea challenged the Calcutta high court’s dismissal of its petition last week. The high court had said that it is the prerogative of the Election Commission to appoint a counting supervisor and counting assistant, who could either be from the state government or the Union government.A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi heard the plea today in an urgent sitting, considering the fact that counting is on Monday, May 4.“No further orders are needed in the SLP [special leave petition]. We record the submission of Mr Naidu that the circular of ECI be followed in letter and spirit,” the court said.The Bar and Bench report also notes that Justice Bagchi also appeared to observe to the TMC’s counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, that this is the same circular he was challenging.“You were challenging the circular and now you are saying follow it?” Justice Bagchi stated.Sibal, appearing for TMC, had said that not allowing state government officers as vote counting supervisors goes against Article 324 of the constitution and is tantamount to casting aspersions on a state.“Mr Naidu, Mr Sibal wants strict compliance of the circular,” Justice Bagchi said at the end.The order notes that “no further orders are necessary in this case except to record the statement of Mr. Dama Seshadri Naidu that the Election Commission will implement the circular dated 13th April, 2026 in true letter and spirit.”Tensions between the TMC, Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party rage amidst allegations and counter-allegations of EVM and postal ballot tampering ahead of the counting of votes on May 4. While the TMC alleged “murder of democracy”, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee visiting the site and alleged that officers were being “pressured”, the ECI said that postal ballots were segregated according to rules in the presence of political parties.