Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday issued a notice to the state government and the State Election Commission, seeking clarity on the timeline for conducting Panchayat Raj elections in the state. The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Jiyalal Bhardwaj.
The notice was issued during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding the timely conduct of Panchayat elections. The petitioner argued that the state government and the Election Commission had failed to initiate necessary preparations despite constitutional provisions mandating elections every five years.
During the hearing, the state government informed the court that the election process would begin before December 21. The bench has listed the case for the next hearing on December 22.
The PIL highlights Articles 243(E) and 243(K) of the Constitution, which make it compulsory to conduct Panchayat elections within the stipulated timeframe. The petitioner noted that the term of the current elected representatives will expire in January, and any delay would violate constitutional mandates.
The petition also challenges the government’s move to postpone elections under the Disaster Management Act. On October 8, the Chief Secretary had stated that Panchayat elections would be conducted only after conditions normalised, citing the Act. The PIL contends that elections can only be deferred in cases of extraordinary circumstances such as natural disasters or severe law-and-order problems.
