The Uttarakhand High Court has put a halt to the upcoming panchayat elections in the state over irregularities in the reservation and rotation process for the three-tier system. The elections, earlier scheduled to be held in two phases on July 10 and 15, have now been stayed until further orders.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Guhanathan Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra passed the interim order on Monday while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the legality and fairness of the reservation rotation adopted by the State Election Commission for the local body polls.
The counting of votes, as per the original schedule, was to take place on July 19. However, with the High Court’s intervention, the entire election process is now on hold.
The court’s order comes even as the Model Code of Conduct had already come into force in the 12 districts where polls were to be held. The State Election Commission had issued the election notification on June 21, with nominations scheduled to begin from June 25.
The panchayat elections are of particular significance this year as the term of the previously appointed administrators had concluded, and public representatives were expected to take charge.
Secretary of Panchayati Raj, Chandresh Kumar, said the government is taking all necessary steps to comply with the court’s interim directions. “The Gazette notification of the Reservation Rules 2025 is being prepared and will soon be presented before the High Court for appropriate judicial guidance,” he stated.
Kumar reiterated the government’s commitment to uphold the constitutional framework and legal sanctity of the Panchayati Raj system, adding that the process will continue in accordance with the High Court’s observations and directions.
The matter will be further heard once the court receives the official notification detailing the reservation rules, which is currently being sent for printing.
