Chandigarh: Delay in elections under the scrutiny of Punjab and Haryana HC

Chandigarh: Nearly 19 months after the tenure of municipal bodies in the state came to an end, the delay in the conduct of elections came under judicial scanner today with a petition in public interest being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Taking up the petition seeking directions to the state and other respondents to immediately issue fresh notification with scheduled timing for conducting municipal council/committee elections, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikas Suri fixed July 25 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

Describing herself as a “social worker”, Beant Kumar, through counsel Bhisham Kinger and Sukhcharan Singh Gill, contended that the existing tenure of the municipal councils expired in December 2022 but the elections had not been conducted so far.

“It is clear from Article 243-U of the Constitution of India that an election should be conducted to constitute the municipality before the expiry of five years from the first meeting or before the expiry of six months from the date of its dissolution,” the the petitioner contended.

He added that democracy was integral to the basic structure of the Constitution and free and fair elections were fundamental to democracy.

He said it required periodic elections, enabling people to elect their representatives. He said democracy also entailed that voters were in a position to vote for the candidates of their choice.