Allahabad High Court issues show-cause notice to UP State Election Commission on panchayat elections
The Allahabad High Court has issued show-cause notice to the UP State Election Commission to explain why action may not be taken against it and its officials for not enforcing COVID-19 protocol during the panchayat elections and to prosecute those responsible for such violations.
Taking judicial notice of a news report that 135 teachers, shiksha mitras and investigators, who were assigned election duty in the ongoing panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP), have died, the Allahabad High Court has issued show-cause notice to the UP State Election Commission to explain why action may not be taken against it and its officials for not enforcing COVID-19 protocol during the panchayat elections and to prosecute those responsible for such violations.
In its order today, April 27, the high court noted that people have levelled allegations that during recent phases of panchayat elections, none of the COVID guidelines have been followed. Neither the police, nor the election commission did anything to save the people on the election duty from getting infected by this deadly virus, the order said.
The court has issued notices to the UP State Election Commission, Lucknow, to explain as to why it failed in checking non compliance of the COVID protocols during various phases of the panchayat elections held recently. The high court told the state election commission to explain why action may not be taken against it and its officials for the same and to prosecute those responsible for such violations.
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The court has also directed the state election commission to take immediately take all such measures in the forthcoming phases of panchayat elections to ensure COVID guidelines of physical distancing and face masking are compiled with. “Else action is liable to be taken against the officials involved in the election process,” reads the order.
Meanwhile, the state government had recently issued a media statement to clarify the “Allahabad High Court’s order compelled the state government to conduct the elections”. In its press statement, the Uttar Pradesh government stated that it did not want to hold these polls.
“Contrary to the misinformation campaign against the Yogi government, the decision to conduct the elections of the Gram Panchayats stemmed from the directions of the Allahabad High Court to the Government of the State of Uttar Pradesh,” a statement issued on April 25 by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government said.
The state government further explained that it was impossible not to obey the order issued by the High Court.
“The state government did not want to conduct panchayat elections in 2021, but it was not possible to disobey the orders of the High Court. The Allahabad High Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to complete the Direct Elections process of the Panchayats by May 10, 2021. The state Government started the process timely,” it added.
The four-phased panchayat elections in the state commenced on April 15 and the counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on May 2. Three phases of the panchayat elections are over and the fourth phase is scheduled to he held on April 29.