HC directs compliance with videography guidelines in Punjab municipal polls
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the State of Punjab to ensure full compliance with the guidelines on videography of nomination process issued by the State Election Commission during the upcoming municipal corporation elections.
The Bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Kirti Singh ordered that the compliance must continue until the withdrawal of the nomination process.
“The respondents concerned are directed that as and when municipal elections are conducted to the municipal corporation concerned, thereupon the respondents concerned shall ensure that complete compliance is made to the guidelines issued by the State Election Commission, Punjab, relating to videography of the nomination process till its withdrawal,” the court observed.
The State Chief Secretary was also instructed to circulate the order to all returning officers.
The Bench also directed the Punjab State Election Commission to lawfully decide the representation filed by Vijay Kumar and other petitioners in the matter today itself.
Among other things, the petitioners had contended that they were candidates for the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for December 21. They tried to fill the nomination papers after due compliance. But the “workers and leaders of the ruling AAP party, government of Punjab, along with the police officials, were not allowing the petitioners and other candidates of the Patiala district to fill the nomination papers and are harassing and threatening them”.
They added that the petition was being filed seeking directions to the State, the election commission and another respondent to videograph the nomination process till the withdrawal date and not to reject the nomination papers on “unnecessary grounds” in view of the provisions of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994.
Directions were also sought to the respondent to ensure that the candidates were not stopped from filing the nomination paper by deploying security force, ensure their forms were not rejected on “unnecessary grounds” and an opportunity to rectify the mistake, if any, was given.
