The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Union government and the State of West Bengal to a petition by Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra alleging that state authorities and police, using goons and mobs, have blocked her free access to her constituency. A Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for both the Centre and the state, to file counter-affidavits.
Power shift after the May 2026 polls
Moitra, represented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Yashwant Singh, told the court that the May 2026 change of government in West Bengal — with the BJP taking power and the Trinamool Congress moving to the Opposition — coincided with escalating obstacles to her fieldwork. She framed the dispute as an elected representative’s right to serve constituents without intimidation.
The Centre and the state will now place their versions on record, including any police assessments of local law-and-order claims. Opposition parties nationally are watching the case as a test of how courts treat constituency-access complaints after partisan transitions.
What happens next
Counter-affidavits will decide whether the Bench orders protective directions, monitors local administration, or disposes of the plea after examining police records and any video evidence filed with the petition. The day’s top-news brief was carried by The Hindu. See The Hindu.
Why MPs across parties care
Free movement in a constituency is basic to representative democracy. Findings here could set persuasive precedent beyond West Bengal for future access disputes, especially in states where government and Opposition roles have recently flipped after closely fought polls.
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