Supreme Court Declines to Halt Punjab Panchayat Elections Amidst Alleged Irregularities

The Supreme Court of India refused to halt the ongoing panchayat elections in Punjab despite allegations of irregularities. The court cited potential chaos from intervening once polling commenced. Although appeals will be heard, the elections will proceed as over 13 million voters are expected to participate.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India declined to stay the ongoing panchayat elections in Punjab, rejecting petitions that raised concerns about irregularities in the nomination process. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud emphasized that intervening on polling day could lead to significant chaos.

The election process began at 8 AM on Tuesday and the Supreme Court bench, which included justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, acknowledged the high court's earlier decision to dismiss around 1,000 petitions and vacate a previously imposed stay on the elections.

Despite allowing an appeal to be listed, the Supreme Court clarified that no interim stay would be granted, underscoring the importance of allowing the electoral process to continue uninterrupted. Approximately 13.3 million voters are expected to participate in the elections across Punjab's 13,937 gram panchayats.

(With inputs from agencies.)