GUWAHATI, Dec 19: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam State Election Commission not to issue any notification regarding the holding of panchayat polls without its permission.
The court was hearing a bunch of writ petitions, mainly challenging the delimitation of panchayats across the state.
The Assam government had earlier announced that the panchayat elections with newly-delimitated constituencies would be completed by February 10 next year.
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The matter would be heard again on January 9.
“Till the next date fixed, the respondents shall not issue any notification without leave of the court,” a single-judge bench of Justice Soumitra Saikia said in an order on Wednesday.
The bench, after hearing both sides, noted that the state government has filed its counter affidavit during the course of the day and the counsel for the petitioners prayed for some time to complete his instructions in the matter and requested that the matter be listed next month.
Additional Advocate General K Konwar, appearing for the state government, and R Dubey, appearing for the Election Commission, submitted before the court that the notification for polls will be issued by the State Election Commission.
Dubey said that the process is underway and the electoral rolls are presently being finalised, and once the process is over, the election notification will be issued.
“Under such circumstances, this court is of the view that the matters require an urgent hearing and therefore be listed on 09.01.2025,” Justice Saikia said in the order.
Advocate AK Talukdar, appearing for one of the petitioners, said, “With this order, panchayat elections cannot now be over by February 10, as the government was trying to push.”
A 45-day period is mandatory between polls and the issue of notification, and with the matter now listed for January nine, the election commission will not have the requisite time in hand to complete the process by February 10, he said.
“This order is important as once elections are declared, the court cannot interfere except in facilitating its conduct,” Talukdar said. (PTI)
