Himachal: High Court Issues Notice to State Government and Election Commission Over Timely Panchayat Polls
The Himachal Pradesh High Court heard a public interest petition on Monday demanding timely conduct of Panchayat elections. A bench comprising Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj issued notices to the state government and State Election Commission, asking within what timeframe the Panchayati Raj elections will be held.
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for December 22. The state government told the court that the election process will begin from December 21.
The petition seeks the court’s intervention to ensure elections are conducted across the state within the prescribed timeframe. It alleged that the state government and the election commission have made no preparations to hold elections in accordance with constitutional provisions, citing Articles 243E and 243K, which mandate elections every five years. The current representatives’ term is set to expire in January.
The petition also stated that the government cannot postpone elections except under extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or severe law-and-order issues. The previous Panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh were held in three phases between December 2020 and January 2021. The petition challenges the government’s intent to invoke the Disaster Management Act to delay elections. On October 8, the Chief Secretary had stated that elections would be conducted once conditions return to normal.
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