Prayagraj, Oct 14 The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission to hold polls to Panchayati Raj institutions in Uttar Pradesh within three months.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices Ajit Kumar and Garima Prashad while allowing the plea by Dashrath Yadav and others.
The petitioner had moved the court seeking direction to the poll body to place on record a detailed time-bound schedule for completion of the entire panchayat election process well before the expiry of the district panchayat tenure.
These three-tier polls are called so that elections to zila panchayats (district level), Kshetra panchayat (intermediary) and Gram Panchayat (village level) are held simultaneously.
The bench observed, "The State Government and the State Election Commission shall proceed forthwith with the preparatory steps, issue the election programme, and complete the elections to the village panchayats in Uttar Pradesh within three months from the date of this judgement. The schedule shall provide for the steps necessary to constitute the elected bodies within the above-prescribed period."
The court said, "The State Government and the State Election Commission shall conduct the entire elections under the existing reservation arrangement, including 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes.
"The elections shall not be conducted by treating the OBC-reserved seats as open seats merely because the Dedicated Commission's inquiry remains pending. Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable laws, subject to the aggregate ceiling governing vertical reservation," the court said.
"The State Government shall provide the staff, funds, security and other logistical assistance as may be required by the State Election Commission to hold elections within the time bound period above. The time allowed for completion of the elections does not extend an administrator's tenure beyond the period permitted by law. Any intervening administrative arrangement must remain within the applicable statutory limits," added the court.
The court further said, "The dedicated Commission shall continue with its investigation and inquiry considering the observations contained in the body of the judgment for collective empirical data qua OBC and preparation of report on that basis.
"It shall complete its process within the period already prescribed within such extended period as be provided by the State Government. The State shall thereafter examine the recommendations and undertake the statutory steps and amendments, where required, for their lawful implementation."
"The relief for quashing the Government order dated May 25, 2026 invoking power under Section 12(3-A) for appointment of administrator and so also relief for quashing of the appointments of outgoing Pradhans as administrators of respective Gram Panchayats are hereby rejected. The relief for declaration with regard to Sections 12(3-A) and 12-BB(3) as ultra vires Article 243-E is also hereby rejected and hence the Writ petitions in that regard stand rejected," the court said.
