DEHRADUN: In a significant blow to the State Election Commission (SEC), the Nainital High Court has once again taken a stringent stand on the upcoming three-tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand, slated for the end of this month.During a crucial hearing on Monday, the court issued explicit directives, stating that elections must adhere strictly to the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, warning that no violation would be tolerated.The court reiterated that candidates whose names appear on voter lists in two different locations will be deemed ineligible to contest.This controversy primarily revolves around candidates whose names are registered in both municipal (urban) and three-tier Panchayat (rural) voter lists.Dehradun-based social activist Shakti Singh Bartwal initially highlighted this anomaly. On July 7 and 8, Bartwal wrote to the Uttarakhand State Election Commission, urging them to issue clear guidelines to prevent voters listed in urban body electoral rolls from participating or nominating themselves in the Panchayat elections.Dissatisfied with the Commission’s response and alleging non-compliance with Sub-sections 6 and 7 of Section 9 of the Panchayati Raj Act, Bartwal filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court. His petition argued that having names on two separate voter lists is considered a criminal offense in other states, questioning the basis on which the Uttarakhand SEC was approving such candidacies.
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