Supreme Court asks Punjab govt to notify municipal polls within 15 days

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today directed the Punjab government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to notify the municipal elections in the state within 15 days and complete the entire process within eight weeks of the issuance of the notification.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing a petition filed by the Punjab government challenging the October 19 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The high court had directed the state government to issue election notifications for all municipal councils and municipal corporations within 15 days without any new process of delimitation.

The Supreme Court bench, however, partially modified the orders. The bench, while extending the time for holding the municipal polls, said the state government was at full liberty to file an appeal to proceed with the contempt proceedings for the delay in notifying the municipal polls despite court orders.