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Irregularities in voter list: Punjab and Haryana high court seeks response from Ambala Cantonment Board
A single bench of Justice Lisa Gill of Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday asked the Ambala Cantonment Board to submit a response on alleged irregularities in a voter list published ahead of its House elections
A single bench of Justice Lisa Gill of Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday asked the Ambala Cantonment Board to submit a response on alleged discrepancies in a voter list published ahead of its House elections.
The petition was filed by advocate Mehak Sawhney, on behalf of his father and former councillor Umesh Sahani, claiming that the names of five of their family members were not included in an electoral list published in July. “We appeared before the president of the board and submitted the claim along with requisite documents at a hearing on August 16. However, even after 20 days and a reminder on September 6, no decision has been communicated,” the petition filed on September 9 states.
A final voter list was published on September 15. The next hearing is scheduled for November 15.
As per the court order, “It is submitted that objections filed by the petitioners have not been decided till date. Publication of the final electoral roll, if any, shall remain subject to the decision of this writ petition.”
This fresh order has come as a setback to many in the region who are aspiring to contest in the elections that were scheduled soon after the tenure of the House ended on February 10 this year.
The constitution of the board, along with 55 other boards in the country, was announced to vary by the ministry of defence (MoD) earlier this year.
Constituted in 1843, Ambala Cantonment Board comprises 16 members -- eight elected from wards and eight nominated. However, officials had said that after the House dissolved, a three-member committee comprising the president and CEO of the house and one nominated member would govern it till elections are held. But, the nomination of the member by the Union government is still pending, Sahni said.
CEO of the board, Anuj Goel, remained unavailable for comments despite several calls and message.
