After legal battles, Punjab's municipal election path cleared

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The path is now clear for elections to the Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils in Punjab. The Punjab government submitted a reply in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, confirming that, as per the Supreme Court's order on November 11, the election process for these bodies will commence on November 25, with results expected within eight weeks.

The government had appealed to the Supreme Court against the contempt orders issued by the High Court for failing to conduct the elections on time. However, it did not receive any relief from the apex court. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuiyan stated that the election process for Municipal Corporations and Councils should have been initiated before the completion of their five-year term, for which the Punjab government was found responsible.

Earlier, on November 6, the High Court had directed the government to issue a notification for the elections within 15 days. This order followed a petition by Beant Singh, a resident of Malerkotla, who raised concerns over the delayed elections. Despite the deadline of October 29 passing, the government did not issue the notification, leading to the filing of a contempt petition. The Punjab government appealed to the Supreme Court for more time, but its plea was rejected. The High Court has now disposed of the contempt petition after reviewing the government's reply.