Supreme Court to Address Punjab Municipal Poll Disputes

The Supreme Court has decided to appoint a retired high court judge to investigate the grievances of candidates regarding the Punjab municipal body elections. This decision follows petitions questioning allegations of misconduct in the polls. The inquiry will be conducted from Chandigarh, addressing claims specific to petitioners.

The Supreme Court announced on Monday its plan to appoint a retired high court judge to delve into grievances arising from the recent Punjab municipal body elections.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh requested suggestions from the Punjab government and election challengers for a suitable retired judge to review these complaints.

Stressing the importance of public confidence, the court emphasized that authorities implicated in any allegations cannot themselves investigate these grievances, highlighting the need for an independent inquiry.

The court plans to outline a comprehensive order detailing the mandate of the one-man fact-finding committee shortly. The committee's proceedings will occur in Chandigarh, where concerned petitioners who have pursued legal action can present their cases.

Despite clarifications that no specific accusations were being cast, the court noted grievances must be examined case by case. Senior advocate Vivek Tankha indicated irregularities, alleging some candidates were barred from nominations, with opposing arguments presented by Punjab's advocate general, Gurminder Singh.

The court highlighted the essential issues of integrity and fairness, with certain allegations requiring fact-finding beyond typical election petitions. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for May 22.

The previous elections held on December 21 saw the ruling AAP securing Patiala while missing majorities in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, with the Congress taking Amritsar and Phagwara. Several affected candidates have escalated their cases to the higher courts amid ongoing electoral disputes.

(With inputs from agencies.)