The Supreme Court has declined to stay the ongoing panchayat elections in Punjab, emphasizing that halting the electoral process is a “grave thing”.
A bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that interrupting elections after polling has begun could lead to “chaos.”
The bench refused to issue an interim order to halt polling, which commenced on Tuesday morning, highlighting the necessity of judicial restraint in election matters. “Polling has opened; if we stay now, there will be complete chaos. Stopping elections is a serious issue. Tomorrow, someone might want to stay parliamentary elections as well. We will list the case, but no interim stay,” the bench stated.
This discussion arose from a request to the Supreme Court for a stay on the polling. Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had lifted its own stay on the panchayat polls, allowing elections to proceed.
The Supreme Court appeal challenged a High Court ruling that dismissed around 800 petitions alleging irregularities in the electoral process.
Voting for the gram panchayat elections is currently taking place from 8 am to 4 pm, with citizens using ballot boxes to elect their ‘sarpanch’ and ‘panch’ representatives. Reports indicate that voters in Mohali and Ludhiana are actively participating, and the process has been peaceful thus far. Election results are expected once voting concludes.
Yesterday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed over 1,000 petitions seeking the cancellation of the elections and lifted a ban on 206 panchayats, allowing the electoral process to move forward as scheduled on October 15.
The court clarified that only the Election Commission holds the authority to intervene in the elections and mandated that the entire process be documented through videography.
Despite the High Court’s decision, petitioners’ attorneys indicated plans to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court, reflecting the ongoing legal disputes surrounding the elections. The elections aim to fill 13,237 ‘Sarpanches’ and 83,437 ‘Panches’ positions.
Advocate Hakam Singh mentioned that nearly 1,000 writ petitions had been filed regarding the elections, with 250 being segregated on various grounds.
While the High Court dismissed all but one petition, the legal battle appears far from over, with intentions to approach the Supreme Court once more.
