New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party has moved the Supreme Court challenging the State Election Commission's (SEC) decision to postpone the municipal elections without any reasonable ground.
The plea contended that the decision has been taken solely on the basis of unofficial communication by the Central government. "The brazen influence of the Government of India over the State Election Commission and its flagrant meddling with the conduct of municipal elections forms the subject matter of this writ petition," said the plea.
The plea sought a direction to the SEC to conduct the municipal elections in Delhi, according to the initially conceived schedule, before the expiry of the tenure of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, in May 2022, in a free and fair manner.
The petition contended that the SEC, on March 9, issued a press note for holding the polls in April.
"However, precisely half an hour later, by way of a press note, it conveyed that it had received some communication from the Lt. Governor of Delhi, conveying that the Government of India was intending to pass a legislation to merge the trifurcated Municipal Corporations of Delhi. In light of this communication, the press conference to declare the election schedule was indefinitely postponed; the municipal elections consequently being deferred," said the plea.
The plea added that no formal state communication has been issued to this effect yet. Even in the ongoing Budget Session, no agenda has been declared regarding the tabling of a Bill to this effect, it added.
"As no subsequent formal notification, agenda or communication regarding the merger of the Corporations has come from the state, it clearly showed the delaying tactics to hamper the free and fair conduct of elections beyond the constitutionally mandated period of five years, as per Article 243U of the Constitution," it said.
The plea questioned whether the SEC can be influenced by an unofficial communication sent by the Centre to defer municipal elections, which the poll body was prepared to conduct.
"The timing of this communication, right before the declaration of the schedule also leaves much to be desired. The conduct of the government makes evident its attempt to interfere with the free and fair conduct of elections. Instead of stopping the government from doing so and protecting its independence, the respondent commission has given in and deferred the elections", added the plea.
The plea contended that the sole influence of the government in deferring the municipal elections is a clear infringement of the independence of the State Election Commission and an evident obstruction to the impartial conduct of elections.
"Issue a writ of mandamus, directing Respondent Commission to expeditiously conduct the municipal elections in Delhi as per their initial proposal, in a free and fair manner," said the plea.
The Chief Minister said in line with the scheme, eye camps would be organised throughout the state where the eye sight of the people would be thoroughly checked and those found suffering from the cataract problem would be operated upon after a period of 15 days.
A Delhi court on Thursday directed Delhi Police to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) on a petition seeking an FIR against Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his alleged controversial remarks against the protesting farmers.
The Uttar Pradesh government has given a six months' extension to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. The SIT had sought extension and the state government has given time to the SIT to complete the investigation and make arrests by May 2022.
This comes just days after the COP26 climate summit, where India pledged to cut emissions to net zero by 2070, reduce carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, and raise the share of renewables in the energy mix to 50 per cent, among others, before staging a last-minute climbdown opposing a commitment to "phase out" coal.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the Lakhimpur Kheri violence probe and to ensure fairness and independence in the investigation.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday junked petitions against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which upheld the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as Punjab Director General of Police.
