Uttarakhand High Court stays three-tier panchayat elections, raises questions on reservation process
The Uttarakhand High Court has put an interim stay on the proposed three-tier panchayat elections in the state. The court took this decision in view of the serious flaws in the reservation rotation policy. This order was pronounced by a division bench of Chief Justice Justice G. Narendra and Justice Alok Mehra.
What was said in the petition?
Petitioner Ganesh Dutt Kandpal (Bageshwar) and others alleged that:
- The rules were not followed in the reservation rotation list released on June 9.
- Many seats which were reserved three times in a row were reserved this time too.
- This has violated the spirit of equal opportunity and rotation in the Constitution.
Court’s comments
The reservation process should be transparent and balanced.
The government has hastily announced the election schedule despite the matter being sub judice, which is unfair.
The court has sought an explanation from the state government, including a complete explanation of the reservation process.
Election schedule put on hold
The panchayat election schedule announced by the State Election Commission was as follows:
Nomination: 25–28 June 2025
Polling: 10 and 15 July 2025
Counting and results: 19 July 2025
As per the High Court’s direction, this entire schedule has been postponed.
What next?
- The state government will have to file a detailed reply in the court in the next few days.
- No election process will take place until the court gives the next order.
The next hearing will decide whether the election schedule should be corrected and restarted or the entire process should be reconsidered.
