In a crucial ruling having immense political significance for the State in view of the scheduled local body elections, the Nainital High Court has asked the State Government to submit its final election- related notification to the State Election Commission by April 23.
The next hearing has been set on April 24. The petition of the state election commission was heard in the single bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia on Tuesday.
legal sources said that the court has also asked the State Government to explain why it has not completed preparations of urban local body elections on time. The State election commission had filed a plea in the High Court on the matter in which the Commission stated that the State Government was not inclined to conduct the urban local body election within the fixed time frame. The tenure of urban bodies is slated to end on May 3, the petition further had stated, adding that it was the constitutional obligation to complete the election process by May 3. The State Government had been informed about the same by the State election commission on March 9. As per the programme, preparation of electoral list would have to be completed by March 19, election notification would be issued on April 2, nomination on April 4, polling on April 29 and formation of urban local bodies on April 5.
The commission had further stated that despite the court’s direction, the State Government has not completed delimitation of constituencies of UlB on time.
After the State Election Commission had slammed the State Government on the delay of the process and moved the High Court the State Government had informed the court that it was ready to conduct the UlB election on time. As per the State Government’s declaration, they would prepare election schedule and would submit it to the State Election Commission. State Government would release the final list of delimitation of urban local body by April 23, it informed the court. Continuing with the hearing, the High Court has asked the State Government to submit the final election- related notification to the State election commission by April 23.