BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to reconsider its decision to postpone the gram panchayat (GP) elections. “We direct the SEC to reconsider the decision in the light of observations made by the court and the subsequent order passed by the Centre on May 30, on the lockdown.

In fact, the State Government has thrown open temples, restaurants, shopping malls from June 8. The SEC will have to reconsider the decision before July 1, the next date of hearing,” the court said. In a lighter vein, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy orally observed, “People are going to temples repeatedly, but they have to go to the polling station to cast their votes only once”. The court also referred to the SSLC examination being conducted in the state.

The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by KC Kondaiah and others challenging the SEC notification of May 28 postponing the GP elections owing to ‘unavoidable circumstances’. Arguing for the petitioners, Prof Ravivarma Kumar drew the attention of the court to the fact that the GP election was postponed just three days before the lockdown was lifted. Issuing notice to the State, SEC and others, the bench noted that Article 243 of the Constitution mandates the SEC to hold elections before expiry of term of the panchayats.