Chandigarh, Feb. 4 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed the Punjab government not to proceed with the process of civic body elections for nine municipal corporations and around 100 municipal councils and municipal committees in the state. The order was passed by a division bench comprising justice HS Sethi and justice Vikas Suri while hearing a batch of petitions filed from various districts challenging the delimitation of wards. A copy of the order is awaited. Lawyers associated with the case, including SPS Tinna, confirmed the development. Reports had earlier suggested that the civic body polls could be held in February-March this year. The court passed the order after the state's chief secretary failed to comply with its earlier directions issued on January 16, in which it had sought clarification on whether the state was accepting the notification dated August 13, 2025, issued by the Union government, or held a different view regarding delimitation of wards for municipal corporations and municipal councils in the state. With this notification, the Centre had frozen the process of delimitation of ward boundaries across the country with effect from January 1, 2026. On January 16, the court had observed that the key issue for determination was whether the delimitation exercise undertaken by the Punjab government was in consonance with the Municipal Corporation Order, 1995, and the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976. The court had also raised the question whether the state could carry out delimitation of wards after January 1 in view of the Centre's notification "Hence, the chief secretary, state of Punjab, is directed to file a particular affidavit after examining the issue as to whether the state is accepting the notification dated August 13, 2025, issued by the Government of India in toto so as to implement the same qua delimitation of wards of municipal council or corporation as the case may be," the court had observed, adding that it is only in case the state is not accepting the notification, the issue will be decided as to whether the state government will have jurisdiction to delimit the wards after January 1. The court had further observed that since the issue was pending before the court, the state government should not "precipitate the things in any manner." However, when the matter was taken up on Tuesday, the state failed to file any response. On the other hand, the petitioners sought the court's intervention and demanded that the state be restrained from proceeding with the election process. The petitions were initially filed challenging the delimitation exercise in Abohar, Fazilka and Pathankot. Subsequently, similar petitions were filed from several other districts. The petitioners argued that any delimitation exercise initiated or finalised after December 31 can't be done in view of the Centre's August 2025 notification, which a pan-India direction barring any changes to boundaries of towns, districts and wards in view of preparations for the census 2027....