By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 24 Jun: Late this evening, the Uttarakhand State Election Commission formally postponed the three-tier panchayat elections across the state in compliance with a stay order issued by the Uttarakhand High Court. The decision follows the Court’s interim order dated 23 June 2025 in writ petition no. 410 (MB) of 2025, Ganesh Datt Kandpal vs State of Uttarakhand and Others, where it held that the reservation policy for the upcoming panchayat elections had not been duly notified by the state government in the official gazette.
As per the High Court’s order, all proceedings carried out on the basis of the unnotified reservation rules, pertaining to the allocation of seats and offices for Village Pradhan, Block Panchayat Members, and Zila Panchayat Members, will remain suspended until further directions are issued by the Court.
Subsequently, during the hearing of another related writ petition (No. 416 MS of 2025, Deepak Kirola vs State of Uttarakhand and Others) on 24 June, the Court decided to club all similar petitions and scheduled them for a consolidated hearing on 25 June 2025.
Following these developments, the counsel appointed by the State Election Commission informed the Commission of the stay order. The Panchayati Raj Department also communicated the same through its letter No 120 dated 23 June 2025. The Election Commission, in response, has directed the suspension of the entire electoral process for the three-tier panchayat elections until further orders from the High Court.
In its directive, the High Court has clearly stated: that Court stays the allotment of reservation for the post of Village Pradhan, Member of Block Council and Member of District Panchayat on the basis that the Uttarakhand Village Panchayat, Kshetra Panchayat and Zila Panchayat (Reservation and Allotment of Seats and Offices) Rules, 2025 has not been notified by the State in the official gazette and further directed to file their counter affidavit within two weeks and list the matter immediately after two weeks.
The postponement has added to the uncertainty among candidates who were preparing to file nominations beginning 25 June. The elections had earlier been notified in 12 districts. With the Court’s next hearing scheduled for 25 June, the future course of the panchayat election process will hinge on the outcome of judicial scrutiny of the state government’s reservation policy.
