SC directs Rajasthan EC to notify election program for civic polls

A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar asked the Rajasthan government to file an application for extending the date of municipal polls and has directed the Rajasthan Election Commission to notify the election program within one week.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court, while refusing to interfere with a plea to extend the dates for Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporation elections, on Thursday directed the Rajasthan Election Commission to notify the election program within one week.

A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar asked the Rajasthan government to file an application for extending the date of municipal polls. "We direct the State Election Commission to notify the election program within one week from today," the bench said.

The state government had moved the apex court challenging the Rajasthan High Court order dismissing its application for extending the poll dates from October 31, 2020, to March 20, 2021, for Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations.

During the hearing, the bench observed that it will not interfere with the High Court order but asked the government to approach the High Court and convince it.

"No further indulgence is required from this court. Go and convince the High Court to give you further time. First, notify the election and then go to the High Court. Explain to the High Court why the election in October is not possible," the bench noted.

The top court also took into the submission of the State Election Commission that it is already in the process of conducting the Panchayat elections.

Recently, the High Court while rejecting the application moved by the state government had directed that the elections should be completed by October 31.

The civil polls in the three municipal corporations were due in November 2019 but were first postponed for delimitation of wards, following the government decision to bifurcate the corporations in the three and then again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government had then assured the court that the elections would be held within six months.

(ANI)