UP Panchayat Election: Pradhan Sangh to Challenge High Court's 3-Month Deadline in Supreme Court

A fresh political debate has erupted in Uttar Pradesh regarding the upcoming panchayat elections. Following the Allahabad High Court's directive to conduct the three-tier panchayat elections within three months, the National Panchayat Raj Gram Pradhan Sangh is preparing to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. The association argues that completing necessary procedures, including OBC reservation assessments and fixing electoral roll discrepancies, makes a three-month timeline unfeasible.

Concerns Over OBC Quota and Voter List Discrepancies

Dr. Akhilesh Singh, National President of the Pradhan Sangh, stated that the organization will legally challenge the High Court order. According to him, essential groundwork such as district-wise reservation assessments by the backward classes commission remains incomplete, with the commission having visited only a handful of districts so far. Conducting elections without finalizing the OBC reservation process, the association argues, would violate Supreme Court guidelines.

Furthermore, the association has highlighted a massive gap of nearly 3.94 million voters between the electoral rolls prepared by the State Election Commission and the Election Commission of India. Pointing out severe discrepancies, such as municipal councillors' names appearing in rural panchayat voter lists, the association emphasized that these flaws must be rectified before heading to the polls.

Administrative Hurdles and Future Timeline

Highlighting upcoming administrative challenges such as the census, board examinations, and special intensive revisions of electoral rolls, Dr. Singh questioned how the government and election machinery could manage panchayat elections within such a compressed timeframe. The association estimates that due to these multifaceted challenges, panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh are unlikely to take place anytime soon.