HC raises questions on holding polls, kanwar yatra together
panchayat elections
during the ongoing kanwar yatra and Char Dham pilgrimage. HC was hearing a public interest petition by Haridwar resident Dr Baijnath, who highlighted that key administrative resources such as police and SDRF teams were engaged in flood relief work, potentially impacting election management.
He urged the court to consider postponing the elections until after Aug.
In response, DGP Deepam Seth and panchayati raj secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav informed the court via video conferencing that preparations were in place to ensure smooth conduct of the elections and the yatras.
The state election commission also confirmed its readiness to conduct the polls. Polling is scheduled in two phases, July 24 and 28, across 12 districts, excluding Haridwar, while the kanwar yatra will continue until July 23.
Seth said 30% of the police force was deployed for kanwar yatra, 10% for Char Dham pilgrimage and another 10% for the elections, with contingency measures in place for any disruptions.
The court was also informed that the first group of kanwar pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi would complete their journey before the first polling date. Districts affected by the yatra will vote in the second phase. The DGP said legal action was taken against some pilgrims for unruly conduct.
The court directed officials to submit a report on the next hearing on Wednesday.
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