The Supreme Court last week set aside elections in 50 municipal wards in Punjab and ordered fresh polls within six weeks after a fact-finding inquiry uncovered serious irregularities in the electoral process. The violations included allegations of candidates being prevented from filing nomination papers, documents being snatched or torn, and candidates facing assault, detention and threats.
The affected wards are spread across Patiala and Moga districts. The court accepted the findings of a commission headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmaljit Kaur, which investigated complaints relating to the local body elections held in December 2024. The decision is significant because the court found that the problems went beyond routine election disputes. The findings raised questions about whether candidates had been given a fair opportunity to contest in the affected wards.
