The State Election Commission (SEC) of Punjab has postponed the elections for the Kharar municipal council following a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court, while disposing of a petition on Friday, pointed out irregularities in the 2021 delimitation exercise, noting that several newly added areas within the municipal limits had not been included in the ward formation. This omission effectively disenfranchised residents of these areas, preventing them from voting or contesting in the elections.
SEC Orders Termination of Election Process
Citing a communication from the local government department, the SEC instructed the Mohali deputy commissioner, who also serves as the district returning officer, to immediately terminate the ongoing election process for the Kharar Municipal Council. The commission stated that the deferment will remain in effect until voters from the adjoining areas covered in the petition are duly included in the electoral rolls. Candidates who have already submitted their nomination papers will be eligible for a refund of their nomination fees. A fresh election date will be announced after the local government department issues a revised notification.
BJP Demands Deferment of Mudki MC Polls
In a separate development, the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for the deferment of the Mudki municipal council elections in the Ferozepur district. The party alleged incidents of violence, intimidation, and obstruction during the filing of nomination papers. In a formal complaint submitted to the SEC and the Punjab Director General of Police, BJP office secretary Suneel Dutt Bhardwaj claimed that opposition candidates, including BJP nominees, were threatened and prevented from filing their nominations by "anti-social elements allegedly supporting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)."
The SEC has yet to respond to the BJP's request regarding the Mudki polls. Meanwhile, the commission's decision on Kharar is seen as a step to ensure fair and inclusive electoral processes in the state.
