The Nainital High Court, after hearing on separate petitions challenging the Reservation Rules 2024 issued for conducting civic elections and panchayat elections, has directed the petitioners to file a counter affidavit in four weeks. The next hearing of the case will be on March 3. A single bench of Justice Rakesh Thapliyal did not give any interim order in this matter. Voting for civic elections is to be held on January 23 and counting of votes on 25. In such a situation, there is no obstacle in continuing the elections at the moment. All the petitions filed in this case were heard together till late evening on Friday. It was said on behalf of the petitioners that the state government has issued the notification of reservation by keeping the rules aside. On this, the state government said that the reservations of the bodies have been decided under the rules. It should be challenged as an election petition, not in any other petition. Opposing this, it was said on behalf of the petitioners that the elections have not been held yet. Therefore, the reservation notification has been challenged and not on the basis of votes received by any winning candidate or any other basis. Many petitions have been filed in the High Court on this matter. It has been said that the reservation process adopted by the state government for the posts of presidents of the bodies is unconstitutional and against the legal provisions. The government has not ensured reservation on the basis of population and rotation.
