4 months ago
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Rejecting the plea of the State authorities to defer the elections to Panchayati Raj bodies by six months, Himachal High Court connected Friday (January 9, 2026) directed the authorities to behaviour the elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and municipality section bodies earlier April 30, 2026.
Disposing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocator Mandeep Chandel challenging the postponement of polls, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Vivek Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma, besides directed the State Election Commission (SEC) and the State authorities to implicit the full predetermination process by February 28.
Maintaining that the State has suffered extended harm to nationalist and backstage properties and roads, the State authorities had urged the SEC to enactment the predetermination process connected clasp till the concern improved connected the ground. The authorities besides said that the Disaster Act is successful unit successful the State.
However, the High Court, aft proceeding the arguments for 3 consecutive days, directed the authorities to clasp the elections earlier April 30, 2026.
Advocate Nand Lal, who represented the petitioner, said that the tribunal fixed the deadline aft considering that the committee examinations volition beryllium held successful schools successful March and mounting up polling booths would beryllium impractical, and directed that elections indispensable beryllium completed earlier April end.
The State authorities pleaded that owed to the caller catastrophe and logistical challenges, astatine slightest six months were needed to clasp the elections, but the tribunal did not judge the argument.
The State Election Commission besides stated that postponing the elections further would make much difficulties, arsenic census duties volition statesman successful May and conducting elections during the monsoon months of July and August would beryllium astir impossible.
The five-year word of PRI volition extremity connected January 31, 2026, portion the tenure of 50 municipality section bodies volition extremity connected January 18. The State has 3,577 Gram Panchayats, 90 Panchayat Samitis, 11 Zila Parishad and 71 Urban Local Bodies successful total.
The absorption had besides criticised the deferment of polls and alleged that the authorities was avoiding the polls and moving distant from facing the elections.
