Allahabad High Court orders UP panchayat polls within three months

• Allahabad High Court orders Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections within three months.

• Outgoing gram pradhans continue as administrators until the polls are held.

• Court declines to modify the state government’s 25 May order, ruling on 11 petitions challenging the arrangement.

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government and the Election Commission to conduct three-tier panchayat elections in the state within three months, while allowing outgoing gram pradhans to continue as administrators after their elected terms expire.

A division bench of Justices Ajit Kumar and Garima Prasad delivered the order on Wednesday, 14 October while hearing a batch of 11 petitions challenging the state government’s decision to appoint outgoing gram pradhans as administrators and the delay in holding panchayat elections. The petitions included six public interest litigations.

The court directed the state government and the Election Commission to complete the election process within three months. It also declined to modify the state government’s order appointing outgoing gram pradhans as administrators, allowing them to continue in the role until the elections are held.

The petitions challenged the Yogi Adityanath government’s 25 May decision to appoint gram pradhans as administrators after the elected gram panchayats’ terms ended.

The Uttar Pradesh government, the director of panchayati raj, district magistrates, chief development officers and district panchayati raj officers were among the respondents in the cases.

The division bench heard all 11 petitions together before delivering its decision.

The ruling provides relief to outgoing gram pradhans by allowing them to remain in charge during the period before the next elections. At the same time, the three-month deadline puts the state government and the Election Commission under a clear time-bound obligation to conduct the polls.