Manipur High Court orders fresh Panchayat elections within six months

Imphal, Aug. 30 -- The Manipur High Court today struck down the State Government's order extending the tenure of Panchayat bodies through Administrative Committees, declaring it unconstitutional and contrary to the democratic mandate.

It also ordered an election within six months . A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma delivered the judgment while disposing of three writ appeals (WA Nos. 9, 10, and 11 of 2024). The Court held that the five-year tenure of Panchayats, as guaranteed under Article 243E of the Constitution and Section 20 of the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, cannot be extended under any circumstance.

Clarifying the legal position, the Bench ruled that Section 22 of the...