Uttarakhand High Court halts local body polls over reservation confusion

The Uttarakhand High Court has stayed the upcoming local body elections in 12 districts, citing lack of clarity in OBC reservation. The state had earlier assured polls in July after an ordinance cleared changes to the Panchayati Raj Act. 

The Uttarakhand High Court has stopped all election-related activities for the upcoming panchayat polls in 12 districts of the state. The decision came while hearing petitions on irregularities in the reservation roster for seats in panchayat bodies. 

The court said the state government had not provided a clear stand on how reservations, especially for OBCs, were being applied. As a result, it was forced to put a hold on the election process.

Uttarakhand court order on polls

The order comes day after state election body notified its schedule for 3-tier panchayat polls.

The court was hearing petitions that raised concerns over irregularities in how seats were reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women. It directed the state election commission to stop all poll-related activities until the issue is resolved.

In its order, the Uttarakhand High Court said the state government had failed to clearly explain its position on the reservation system in panchayat bodies. 

The court observed that this confusion had created legal uncertainty. Because of this lack of clarity, the court said it had no option but to stop the election process for now, until the matter is properly addressed and the reservation details are made clear.

Government had earlier assured July polls

This setback comes after the state government had earlier informed the court that elections would be held in July 2025. Except for Haridwar, where panchayat elections follow Uttar Pradesh’s schedule and were last held in 2022, all other districts had been awaiting polls since their panchayat terms ended in November 2024. Due to delays, administrators were appointed in place of elected bodies, reported Dainik Jagran.

Ordinance cleared to fix OBC reservation

In May, the state government took steps to address the issue of OBC reservation. A special commission was set up to decide how OBC quota should be implemented in line with a Supreme Court ruling. Based on the commission's findings, the government brought an ordinance to amend the Panchayati Raj Act. This ordinance was approved by the Raj Bhavan, clearing the way for fresh reservation guidelines.

Final notification awaited

According to Panchayati Raj Secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav, the OBC reservation list will be finalised this month. While the state will decide the quota for district panchayat members, district-level officials will determine reservations for block and village panchayat seats. Once this notification is ready, it will be sent to the State Election Commission for further action.

Election preparations on hold again

Though the government had completed key steps such as delimitation, electoral roll revision, and seat distribution, the High Court’s latest order has paused all preparations. The court said no further election process should continue until the reservation roster is made clear and legally sound.