A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court dismissing a Public Interest Litigation seeking Postponement of Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Election 2021 scheduled from 15th April, 2021
The petition has been field before the Apex Court stating,
“…the state health and medical infrastructure in the State of UP is on edge of collapse and has collapsed in Lucknow due sudden exponential surge in the cases of COVID-19 , much beyond the capacity to handle of the State Machinery or existing medical facilities Presently, the situation is so bad that there is shortfall of woods in ghats of Varanasi and Lucknow to burn the dead.”
The Allahabad High Court had dismissed the PIL stating, “All necessary care as such shall be taken by the State to prevent spread of infection during the course of panchayat raj elections.”
The petitioners had submitted before the High Court that looking to the massive surge in Corona Virus infection in different parts of the State, it would be against the public interest to hold panchayat elections in rural areas. the elections would be causing enormous injury to the health of public at large and that would be in contravention to Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the Counsel for the petitioner added.
The bench further noted,
“This Court has also issued certain directions in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 574 of 2020 (In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres And For Providing Better Treatment To Corona Positive Vs. State of U.P.) for the State Government to follow during the entire process of elections.”