Shimla, Jan. 9 -- Himachal Pradesh High court has partly allowed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking timely elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the state, while granting major relief to the state government by permitting a deferment of the polls by about 90 days, despite the State Election Commission's stated readiness to conduct elections earlier.
Pronouncing the judgment, a Division Bench of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma held that Panchayati Raj Institutions are constitutional bodies and their elections cannot be postponed indefinitely. At the same time, the court accepted the practical difficulties highlighting during the proceedings and directed that the election process be completed by April...