Court puts Uttarakhand local polls on hold over lack of clarity in reservation
The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday put an interim stay on the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections in the state, citing ambiguity over reservation provisions.In its order, the court observed that the state government had failed to present a clear stance on the issue of reservation in panchayat bodies. The court noted that due to this lack of clarity, it was compelled to put a hold on the election process.advertisementThe court order came a day after the Uttarakhand State Election Commission notified the schedule for three-tier panchayat elections.
State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar had announced that polling across 12 districts would be held on July 10, with counting scheduled for July 19.The nomination process was set to begin on June 25, with the last date for filing papers being June 28. Scrutiny of nominations was to take place between June 29 and July 1, while election symbols were to be allotted on July 3.With the notification issued, the Model Code of Conduct had also come into force and was to remain in effect until the results were declared.
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