Overview
- A division bench of Justices Shampa Sarkar and Ajay Kumar Gupta ordered on Monday that motorbike rallies and group riding are banned from two days before voting through polling day for phase two, covering April 27–29.
- All other relaxations remain in place, allowing solo riders on the road, permitting family pillion travel for voting and essential needs, and exempting delivery workers and office-goers with valid ID.
- The bench limited its directions to the 2026 election process and left open the broader question of how far the Election Commission can regulate vehicle movement.
- The ruling followed the poll body’s appeal after Justice Krishna Rao on April 24 struck down blanket motorcycle curbs that had included a 6 pm to 6 am ban from P-2 and tight pillion limits.
- Police have been told to enforce the 48-hour ban to deter voter intimidation during a heated campaign with large central force deployments, in a case titled Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal vs. Ritankar Das (MAT 771 of 2026).