By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/Nainital, 11 Jul: In a major setback to the State Election Commission, the Uttarakhand High Court today issued a directive prohibiting individuals whose names feature in both urban and rural electoral rolls from contesting in the ongoing panchayat elections. The court has clarified that its ruling is not intended to disrupt the electoral process but to uphold statutory norms and ensure strict compliance with prevailing electoral laws. Following the directive, questions have arisen over how the coming panchayat polls are going to be affected by the order as there are a large number of panchayat voters in Uttarakhand who also live in the cities and have been traditionally casting their votes both as urban and the panchayat voters. Similarly, there are candidates themselves who have been contesting panchayat polls despite being also registered as urban voters for municipal voters.
The matter has also been further complicated by the fact that the High Court’s order comes today which is the final day for withdrawal of nominations. The order was passed during the hearing of a petition that challenged certain instructions recently issued by the State Election Commission. The court’s decision has created confusion and anxiety among candidates and returning officers throughout the state. The issue gained prominence after some media reports had drawn public attention to discrepancies in the commission’s guidelines issued on 6 July.
It may be recalled that on 6 July, the Secretary of the State Election Commission had issued a communication permitting individuals listed in municipal electoral rolls to contest panchayat elections. However, a subsequent directive had emphasised that the conduct of elections must strictly align with the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act. Following a petition challenging the 6 July order, the High Court stayed its enforcement. The latest ruling places the responsibility squarely on the State Election Commission to ensure disqualification of candidates with dual entries in urban and rural voter lists, even though nominations have been filed and the deadline for withdrawal has already lapsed this evening.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the court has sought a response from the government regarding the presence of 51 allegedly non-resident names in the electoral roll of Budalkot area in Nainital district. The ramifications of this directive are expected to be far-reaching, potentially leading to the disqualification of a significant number of candidates already in the fray.
The High Court order banning dual voters is likely to set a precedent for more stringent verification of voter eligibility across urban and rural rolls in Uttarakhand. The State Election Commission may be required to re-examine its registration protocols and nomination approval processes for future elections. Whether this will further delay the Panchayat polls in the 12 districts of the state, however remains to be seen. In addition, several candidates already in the fray could face disqualification, potentially leading to re-polling or judicial challenges, thereby affecting the entire panchayat elections in the state.
