After pleas alleging irregularities, HC stays panchayat polls in many Punjab villages

About a week before the elections to gram panchayats in Punjab are scheduled to be held, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday stayed the poll process with regard to 275 petitions that had averred irregularities and violation of democratic norms during the course of filing and scrutiny of nomination papers.

Taking up the petitions, the Bench of Justice Sandeep Moudgil had earlier in the day sought an urgent response from the Punjab Government on whether it intended to withdraw the election notification and undertake a more efficient poll process.

Among the 275 petitions, there were multiple petitioners from some villages moving the high court.

As many as 13,237 gram panchayats in Punjab would go to polls on October 15. These are being held after more than five years. The notification for the same was issued after the high court had earlier questioned the state government on September 19 as to when the state intended to conduct the elections. The term of many panchayats had ended in January.