High Court dismisses 42 petitions challenging local self-government elections
In Brief
Important decision by Mumbai High Court on the voter list issue
This difference in dates is a headache for the petitioners
Hearing on other petitions related to reservation and delimitation on Thursday
The Mumbai High Court has dismissed all four important petitions filed regarding the voter list today. This has been a major setback for the petitioners. Notably, while the hearings on the petitions were ongoing in the court, the Central Election Commission has announced that it will hold a press conference today. As a result, everyone is now focused on the announcement of local self-government elections.
No Relief for Petitioners
Four petitions related to the voter list were filed in the Mumbai High Court. The main issues in these petitions were the short period given to object to the draft voter list, names not appearing in the list despite online applications, and the demand to transfer names in the voter list. After hearing all these petitions, the High Court dismissed them. This means that the petitioners objecting to the voter list preparation process have not received any relief.
The hearing on the petition of Rupika Singh, another petitioner in this context, began before the bench of Justice Chagla and Farhan Dubash. The petition alleges that even though Rupika Singh turned 18 in April, the Election Commission did not include her name in the voter list.
This difference in dates is a headache for the petitioners
During this hearing, an important and somewhat confusing issue regarding the cut-off date came up. It was mentioned in a petition that the Election Commission of India had set the cut-off date as 1st October 2025, while the State Election Commission had set it as 1st July. Rupika Singh's age had not reached the cut-off date of 1st October, and despite this date, her name was not included in the list, claimed her lawyers. This difference in dates between the two commissions is proving to be a headache for the petitioners.
During this hearing, Rupika Singh's lawyers informed the court that there is an Election Commission press conference today, and there is a possibility of an election announcement. On one hand, there is a legal battle, and on the other, the commission is preparing for elections, creating a somewhat contradictory atmosphere. Meanwhile, a total of 42 petitions are currently filed in the Mumbai High Court regarding the voter list, delimitation, and reservation. Although the petitions related to the voter list have been dismissed, there will be a hearing on Thursday regarding other petitions related to reservation and delimitation. Therefore, it will be important to see what happens in that.