Karnataka HC asks poll body to announce schedule for gram panchayat elections within 3 weeks

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to finalise the schedule of gram panchayat (GP) elections and announce the calendar of events within three weeks.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi pronounced the judgement on the petition filed by Congress MLC KC Kondaiah and others.

The bench said the state has no say in the decision of the SEC which is an independent body required to comply with the constitutional mandate of conducting polls before expiry of the term of GPs.

The bench also said the state government should provide required infrastructure to SEC. The SEC can approach the Governor if staff are required and not the state government, it said.

The state government had requested the SEC to postpone the GP elections in view of COVID-19. But the SEC has taken a decision to go ahead with the polls as per its schedule with standard operating procedures (SOP).