Supreme Court refuses to stay Panchayat elections in Punjab

The Supreme Court Tuesday declined to stay the panchayat elections in Punjab, noting that polling has already begun in the State.

The matter was mentioned before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

"How can we stay it now.. polls must have begun now! suppose we stay now there will be complete chaos. Staying conduct of elections is a grave thing," the CJI remarked.

"This is an unusual case," the advocate appearing for the petitioners said.

But the Court said that the remedy would lie in an election petition before High Court and staying elections is a drastic step.

"Unusual democracy also where we value elections. You have remedies in election petition. We will not stay, least of all when elections have begun. Tomorrow someone will want to stay parliamentary elections like this. We will list but no interim stay," the CJI made it clear.

The appeal before the top court was filed challenging a decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which on Monday dismissed around 800 petitions alleging irregularities in the panchayat elections.

According to the Times of India, the High Court also lifted the stay imposed by it earlier on holding of elections for over 200 panchayats.

The Tribune reported that majority of the petitions alleged irregularities in the nomination process of the elections. The High Court while refusing to stay the polls, ordered videography of the elections for the panchayats.

The Punjab government had argued before the High Court that petitions were not maintainable as the petitioners were required to instead file election petitions.