Uttarakhand Panchayat Elections: SEC Postpones Symbol Allocation Till Monday 2 PM

Dehradun: The State Election Commission (SEC) has postponed the process of symbol allocation for panchayat elections till 2 pm on Monday. The decision came after the Uttarakhand High Court, which barred those electors with names in electoral rolls at two places. Commissioner Sushil Kumar has confirmed the matter to ETV Bharat.

As the commission has to allocate symbols to the candidates in 12 districts on Monday, the High Court order seems to have put the commission in a dilemma. Hence, it put a stay on the allocation of symbols.

Earlier, the SEC applied to the Uttarakhand High Court on Sunday seeking permission to present its case in the matter about the names of voters finding place in two lists for the three-tier Panchayat elections that are to be conducted in the state.

It was found that some people were listed as voters in villages as well as urban areas, whereas they needed to be listed at only one place. The High Court has even put a stay on such people from contesting.

The High Court order that came on July 11 has added to the worries of the SEC since it bars people having names on two voter lists from contesting. The order came at a time when the process of nomination and scrutiny had already been completed for the elections. The candidates are now to be allotted symbols.

This is not the first time that there has been a major controversy around the Panchayat elections in the state, showing the government in a poor light. The government had to go on the back foot for its stand on the notification for the polls.

The SEC is trying to ascertain what impact the High Court order of July 11 will have on the elections. Perhaps this is the reason that the Commission’s secretary, Rahul Goyal, has called for legal suggestions and explained its stand.

The SEC has been the centre of controversy, with several questions being raised on its functioning. A former Panchayat representative, Amarendra Bisht, said, "The Commission has been functioning like the puppet of the government. If it is unable to interpret the order of the High Court, it clearly shows that it is acting on the directions of the government."

On the other hand, the Commission on Sunday requested permission to present its case before the Court on the points on which the latter gave its order. That is why it filed an application on Sunday, which is a public holiday.

The picture will now become clear only after a hearing on the application filed by the government.

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