New Delhi, Oct 8:
The Supreme Court has set aside elections held in 50 wards in Punjab and ordered fresh elections within six weeks after a fact-finding commission reported widespread irregularities during the nomination process.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana accepted the commission’s findings relating to 28 wards in Patiala district and 22 in Moga district. The commission found that nomination papers had been snatched, torn or destroyed and that candidates had been assaulted, detained or threatened.
The court directed that the fresh election process be completed within six weeks. It also asked the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to appoint, within a week, a monitoring committee headed by a retired High Court judge to oversee the re-election process and ensure that it is conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.
The Punjab government did not oppose acceptance of the commission’s recommendations. The Supreme Court’s order comes after the fact-finding exercise was conducted into complaints of serious obstruction during the local body election process.