SC directs MP to conduct civic body polls

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Madhya Pradesh government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct elections to Gram Panchayat and Municipal Corporations as per the Constitution.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar and also comprising Justice C T Ravikumar passed the order.

When the matter was called for hearing, senior advocate Vivek Tankha submitted that pursuant to the top court’s order, the petitioners had approached the High Court but the latter did not change the date of hearing and listed the matter for January 2022.

The bench observed that the OBC reservation notification was in conflict with the top court’s judgement in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali case against Maharashtra. The bench pointed out that a similar OBC quota in Maharashtra local elections was stayed recently.

The Supreme Court also stayed the election process in the seats reserved for Other Backward Class (OBCs) in the local body elections in Madhya Pradesh.

The court passed the order while hearing a miscellaneous application seeking stay of the election notification dated December 4, 2021 issued by the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission in respect of OBC seats in local bodies.

Justices Khanwilkar and Ravikumar also directed the Election Commission to re-notify the seats for general category.

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