PIL filed in HC against Punjab govt’s decision to elect sarpanches unanimously

Chandigarh: In Punjab, the future of panchayats is uncertain as the High Court has banned elections in many villages. Additionally, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed against the election of sarpanches by the Punjab government in cases where there is no opposition.

The petitioner argued that this practice effectively deprives common voters of their right to vote.

The petition also suggested that even if only one candidate is contesting, voters should be given the option to vote for NOTA (None of the Above).

It stressed that even in cases with a single candidate, the NOTA option should be available to allow voters to reject the candidate.

The petitioner further alleged that the government is either forcing the withdrawal of candidates other than its preferred ones or cancelling their nominations, effectively undermining democracy. The government has also reportedly rewarded such panchayats, a practice that should be stopped.

The petition requested that where there is only one candidate, the NOTA option be provided, so voters can scrutinize the candidate’s legitimacy. A bench headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court is set to hear the PIL on Monday.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed elections for 270 of the 13,237 panchayats in the state, originally scheduled for October 15. The stay affects villages where petitions were filed, citing election irregularities. During a hearing on Wednesday, the High Court criticized the Punjab government over the issue.