Himachal High Court Says No to Poll Delay, Orders Elections Before April-End

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has firmly rejected the state government’s request to postpone Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections by six months. Instead, the court has directed that the polls must be completed before April 30, 2026.

The ruling came after a PIL filed by advocate Mandeep Chandel challenged the government’s move to defer elections. A division bench of Justice Vivek Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma instructed both the State Election Commission and the government to wrap up the election process by February 28.

The government had argued that recent disasters caused widespread damage to roads and properties, making it difficult to conduct elections. It also cited the Disaster Act being in force. But after three days of hearings, the court ruled that elections cannot be delayed further.

Advocate Nand Lal, representing the petitioner, explained that the court considered practical issues like school board exams in March, which would clash with polling arrangements. Hence, the April deadline was set.

The State Election Commission also warned that pushing elections beyond April would complicate matters, as census duties begin in May and monsoon rains in July and August would make polling nearly impossible.

The urgency is clear: the five-year term of Panchayati Raj Institutions ends on January 31, while the tenure of 50 urban local bodies expires on January 18. Himachal currently has 3,577 Gram Panchayats, 90 Panchayat Samitis, 11 Zila Parishads, and 71 Urban Local Bodies.

Meanwhile, the opposition has accused the government of trying to avoid elections, claiming it is unwilling to face the people’s verdict.