The Uttarakhand High Court on Friday lifted the stay imposed on the state’s three-tier panchayat elections. However, the court has directed the state government to respond within three weeks to public interest litigations alleging irregularities in the reservation roster for these elections.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri (as per updated records) and Justice Alok Mahara heard multiple petitions challenging the reservation allocation for block chiefs and district panchayat chairpersons. Petitioners argued that certain seats have long been reserved for the same category, violating Article 243 of the Constitution and Supreme Court directives.
The court instructed the State Election Commission to revise and issue a new election schedule by extending the previously notified program by three days. Meanwhile, the state has been asked to provide a formal reply to the concerns raised by the petitioners.
During the hearing, Advocate General S.N. Babulkar and Standing Counsel C.D. Rawat informed the court that following the National Backward Classes Commission’s report, the previous reservation roster had to be invalidated and a new one was necessary for the current panchayat elections.
The High Court had stayed the elections on June 23, shortly after the State Election Commission had already notified the schedule.
