Uttarakhand High Court Orders Vote Counting for Kichha and Sirauli Kalan Civic Polls in Three Weeks

Court Order

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered officials to count the votes for the municipal elections held in Kichha and Sirauli Kalan within three weeks. A bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay issued the directive after hearing petitions against the delay in counting.

Government Stance

The state government had delayed the vote tallying due to security worries after trouble broke out at polling booths during the September 22 elections. Officials asked for two extra weeks to set up proper security measures, noting that ballot papers are securely locked in boxes.

Petitions Filed

Local residents, including Alina Malik and Naimul Hussain, approached the court against the halt in the process. The petitions also pointed out issues with how reservation rules were set up for the chairperson seats and questioned changes made regarding the inclusion of certain wards and villages.

Context

Municipal polls in India choose local civic leaders who manage basic town amenities like roads, water supply, and garbage collection. Courts often step in to resolve disputes over election delays and rules to ensure the democratic process moves forward without unfair holds.