The High Court of Rajasthan has extended the time limit for conducting elections in municipal corporations of Jaipur, Kota and Jodhpur till August 31.
The Division bench of the High Court comprising of Chief Justice Inderjeet Mahanty and Justice S K Sharma was hearing a petition filed by the State Election Commission seeking an extension of the deadline for the conduct of elections to the three municipal corporations.
The State Election Commission submitted that due to the ongoing COVID 19 lockdown, it was not possible to hold elections by violating the lockdown orders. Moreover the use of EVM’s during the polls would pose a serious threat to the spread of COVID 19
RB Mathur, counsel appearing for the State Election Commission submitted that “The entire government machinery is engaged in controlling the epidemic. It will also take some time to maintain social distancing after the lockdown is removed. In such circumstances, it is not possible to conduct elections in the six municipal corporations of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota as per the order of March 18. Therefore the Court should give time till August 31 to conduct elections in these six municipal corporations.”
Previously on March 18 the Court had directed the Commission to conduct the elections within six weeks, however owing to delimitation and creation of two new corporations in Jaipur, the Commission could not conduct elections to these municipal corporations. Jaipur Heritage and Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation have been formed in Jaipur.
-India Legal Bureau