HC pulls up Punjab EC for delay in 3 civic body polls

Responding to a PIL, Punjab state election commission cited pending electoral roll updates as the reason for poll delays

The Punjab and Haryana high court has come down heavily on the Punjab state election commission (SEC) for not holding civic body polls in three MCs.

The court will hear the case again on January 17. (HT File)

“It is not only surprising but shocking to note that despite the mandate under Article 243U of the Constitution of India to hold elections well before the last term of an elected body comes to an end, the State Election Commission, Punjab has allowed nominated state functionaries to manage the affairs of the municipal bodies since the last four to five years. It is an extremely sorry state of affairs especially in a democratic polity,” a high court bench observed while hearing a public interest litigation.

One Bhisham Kinger, in his plea, had sought elections in municipal council/committee in the municipality areas of Talwara in Hoshiarpur, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran MC.

In response to the PIL, the state election commission had submitted that elections were not held primarily due to non-updation of the electoral rolls.

The court, while posting the matter for hearing on January 17, said that the reasons assigned by the SEC cannot be accepted and directed it to file an affidavit giving the exact date by which elections to these three municipal bodies would be held. The court made it clear that if the date is not given, then SEC would appear virtually before the court on the adjourned date and explain the default.