Maharashtra Civic Poll Results to be Declared After December 20, Says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has upheld a Bombay High Court order, directing the Maharashtra State Election Commission to announce the results of all civic body elections after the next round of voting on December 20. The court clarified that the results will not be delayed due to pending petitions in the High Court.
Background
Elections for all municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra were originally scheduled for December 2. However, polling took place in only 264 of these on that date. The State Election Commission (EC) postponed elections in 24 seats due to pending appeals related to the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers.
Concerns Raised
Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing the petitioners, expressed concern that the pending appeals could further delay the declaration of results. He argued that adjudicating these pleas would be time-consuming, requiring responses from respondents and hearings by the High Court.
Supreme Court Ruling
A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi stated that declaring election results after the final phase of polling is a standard practice. This prevents voters in later polling constituencies from being influenced by the mood of voters in constituencies where elections have already been held.
The bench instructed the State EC to declare the results of all civic bodies after the completion of the second phase of elections. The court emphasized that "pendency of the petitions in HC would not be an impediment for declaration of the results."
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court approves Bombay HC order.
- Maharashtra SEC to declare results after December 20.
- Pending HC petitions will not delay the announcement.
