Shimla, April 2: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a firm stance on the issue of Panchayat delimitation, delivering a significant ruling. The court made it clear that any delimitation carried out without following legal procedures will be deemed illegal. Additionally, the state government has been instructed to prepare and release the Panchayat election roster by April 7, 2026.
A bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma issued this order after hearing various petitions. The court outlined that the process of forming, reorganizing, and delimiting Panchayats must be completed in two phases according to the law. In the first phase, the state government will reorganize under Section 3, and in the second phase, the Deputy Commissioner will delimit constituencies under Section 124.
The court emphasized the necessity of adhering to election regulations, stating that a seven-day notice is required after the delimitation proposal is issued. Furthermore, objections must be addressed within seven days, followed by a ten-day window for appeals, which the divisional commissioner must resolve within fifteen days.
The court clarified that any delimitation conducted after February 13, 2026, without compliance with these rules will not be applicable in the upcoming Panchayat elections. In such cases, elections will be conducted based on the old Panchayat areas.
Moreover, the court stated that if the reorganization has been completed correctly but the delimitation process is not finished, its effect will be postponed until the next election. Only those reorganizations that were notified before February 13, 2026, and completed according to the rules will be implemented this time.
The High Court also directed the state government to ensure that the entire Panchayat election process is completed within the timeframe set by the Supreme Court. Additionally, the court left room for further hearings on issues related to the validity of some reorganizations.
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