HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 8: The uncertainty over holding Panchayat elections in Assam still persists as Gauhati High Court has not lifted the suspension in announcing the polls on Wednesday.
The Court heard at least 30 petitions regarding the delimitations of Panchayats which according to the petitioners was not done by the government complying with all rules.
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The Court has fixed January 10 for the next hearing in this matter.
“The Court began hearing the petitions in the morning. The Court was in the view that since as many as 30 petitioners raised their objections regarding the delimitation process of panchayats by the state administrations, hence the notification of polls cannot be proceeded by the authority till the issues get resolved,” said an advocate representing one of the petitioners.
“The Advocate General representing the government requested to allow the notification process; however, the Court has turned it down and the next date of hearing is fixed on January 10,” he added.
The High Court had previously ordered that no notification for the Panchayat elections should be issued until January 8. However, the state government has sought reconsideration of this decision, citing concerns over the need to proceed with the elections as planned. In response, the court has instructed the plaintiffs to submit their replies by today.
Additionally, the court has directed those copies of the government’s application be served to the parties involved today, ensuring transparency in the legal proceedings.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier announced that the Panchayat elections would be held as per the original schedule. But the administration could not proceed with the notification of polls due to bar from the court.
The government requested the court to allow the elections to take place without further legal entanglements, emphasising the need for the polls to proceed in panchayats despite ongoing cases.
The court’s decision follows multiple petitions filed due to discrepancies in the constituency redetermination process. These petitions argue that the elections should be postponed until these errors are rectified.
As the legal battle continues, all eyes are now on the January 10 hearing, which will determine the next steps in the Panchayat polls in the state.
