On May 2, 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by the All India Trinamool Congress challenging the Election Commission of India's April 13 directive requiring at least one Central government or PSU employee at each vote counting table for West Bengal Assembly elections, with results set for May 4. The court, in a special sitting, upheld the measure and dismissed bias concerns, amid ECI deployments of additional observers. Coverage is limited to left-center sources, lacking center and right-leaning perspectives.