Uttarakhand HC issues notices over plea for deferment of state polls

PILs have been filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, Anu Pant and Rajendra Arya related to various issues regarding the fight against the pandemic in the state.

Updated on: Dec 30, 2021, 04:31:38 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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Dehradun: The Uttarakhand high court will hear on January 3 a plea seeking postponement of assembly elections in the state in the wake of the threat posed by the omicron variant of coronavirus.

Uttarakhand has reported four cases of the Omicron variant so far. Following these developments, on Monday, the state government announced night curfew in the state from 11 pm-5 am

Shiv Bhatt, counsel of petitioner of Sachdanand Dabral, said on Wednesday that a division bench of acting chief justices Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and Narayan Singh Dhanik issued these directions on an application filed by him in connection with PILs related to the Covid-19 situation in the state -- which are being heard by the HC on a regular basis.

The PILs have been filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, Anu Pant and Rajendra Arya related to various issues regarding the fight against the pandemic in the state.

Bhatt said that based on his plea, the election commission of India has been a made a party in the case. He said counsels appearing for EC and the state government have been asked to obtain instructions on his application and the case has been listed for further hearing on Monday.

Shobit Saharia, counsel representing the EC, said that following the plea, ECI was impleaded as a party in the case and instructions have been sought from ECI in the matter.

In his application, Bhatt has attached photographs of election rallies in the state, pointing out that distancing protocol was not observed in such rallies and participants were not wearing face masks.

The plea pointed out that in view of the new Omicron variant spreading approximately 318% faster than the earlier variants and considering the level of medical infrastructure in the state, it is “imperative that either the assembly Elections be postponed or the political parties be directed to do the election rallies/meetings through web/online”.

Uttarakhand has reported four cases of the Omicron variant so far. Following these developments, on Monday, the state government announced night curfew in the state from 11 pm-5 am. According to the order, essential services including health services, internet, DTH, petrol pumps and industrial activities will be allowed during the curfew period.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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