Supreme Court Declines to Halt Punjab Panchayat Elections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to stay the ongoing panchayat elections in Punjab, noting that polling had already commenced in the state. The case was presented before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. “How can we stay it now? Polls must have already started! If we intervene at this stage, it will cause complete chaos. Staying the conduct of elections is a serious matter,” the CJI remarked.

Counsel for the petitioners described the situation as an “unusual case.” However, the Court maintained that the appropriate recourse would be an election petition before the High Court, emphasizing that halting elections mid-process is a drastic measure. “In a democracy, we prioritize elections. You have the option to file an election petition. We will not stay the elections, especially now that they have begun. Tomorrow, someone may request a stay on parliamentary elections under similar grounds. We will list it, but no interim stay,” stated the CJI.

The appeal before the Supreme Court contested a decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which on Monday dismissed nearly 800 petitions alleging irregularities in the panchayat elections. The High Court had also lifted a prior stay on holding elections for over 200 panchayats. According to the Times of India, the majority of petitions cited irregularities in the nomination process, and the High Court, while rejecting the stay, mandated videography of the election process. The Punjab government argued before the High Court that these petitions were not maintainable, asserting that the petitioners should instead file election petitions.