‘Very Strange, Never Seen…’, SC on Unopposed Election of 3,000 Panchayat Candidates in Punjab

The apex court expressed surprise that hundreds of petitions were dismissed by the high court without affording proper hearing to the affected parties.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday said it is very strange that out of 13,000 panchayat office bearers, 3000 were elected unopposed in recently held polls in Punjab.

The matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.

During the hearing, the bench was surprised when it was informed that 3,000 odd posts in panchayat posts, out of over 13000, were elected unopposed. “This is very strange! I have never seen such figures… These are significant numbers,” the CJI said.

One of the counsel contended that the symbol of a candidate was removed during the elections. The bench was also surprised to learn that hundreds of petitions were dismissed by the high court without affording proper hearing to the affected parties.

The bench said the candidates whose nomination papers were rejected or torn can also move the Punjab and Haryana High Court with their grievances. The bench made it clear that their pleas cannot be rejected on the grounds of violation of the limitation period and the petitions have to be dealt with on merits.

The bench said the petitioners can approach the apex court in case their petitions in the high court are dismissed.

In October, the apex court had issued notice on the plea filed by Sunita Rani and others alleging irregularities in the conduct of the Panchayat polls held on October 15.

The apex court today said the aggrieved persons can file election petitions before the election tribunal which has to decide them in six months. “We permit the petitioner to file election petitions. The state election commission will decide the petitions within six months, in case of delay petitioners can approach the high court,” said the bench.

The apex court, on October 15, the polling day, declined to put on hold the panchayat polls saying there will be "chaos" if courts start staying the process on the election day.

The high court had dismissed around 1,000 petitions challenging the panchayat elections on the grounds of alleged arbitrary rejection of nomination papers filed by the candidates.