Non-holding of Ludhiana MC poll challenged in HC

CHANDIGARH: Just over two months after Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s term came to an end, a petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court blaming the state government for “playing mischief” by not declaring its election along with other civic bodies.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4

Just over two months after Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s term came to an end, a petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court blaming the state government for “playing mischief” by not declaring its election along with other civic bodies. It has also blamed the State Election Commission for toeing the line of the State government.

The petition, filed by Manjit Kaur Ghatourey and another petitioner, against the State of Punjab and other respondents, is scheduled to come up for hearing before the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudhir Mittal on Tuesday.

Seeking directions to the State Election Commission to hold Ludhiana MC elections, along with the other municipal corporations of Punjab, the petitioners stated that Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala MC polls were declared. But Ludhiana municipal corporation was left aside.

Claiming that Ludhiana MC’s five-year term came to an end on September 19, the petitioners added the basic essence of elections — fairness — had been given the go-by as a result of the state interference and planning.

Elaborating, the petitioners added not only were the elections to the other civic bodies were to be held on different dates, even the results were to be declared separately. “The result of one would have bearing on the other corporation, which was the sole motive of the State of Punjab in interfering with the affairs of elections,” the petitioners contended.

It was added that declaring elections of municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala, while leaving aside Ludhiana municipal corporation, was clearly “in derogation of the mandate given by the Constitution of India”.

The petitioners alleged that the state election commission was not acting as an independent body, but was acting in pursuance to the will of the state government, thereby compromising the very essence of independent elections.

Describing themselves as elected members of the Ludhiana MC, the petitioners also asked for further directions to the respondents to hold the elections to all municipal corporations simultaneously and also declaring the results on one day as term of all bodies came to an end on the same day on September 19, starting from September 20, 2012.