Mandi, April 6: Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Monday welcomed the decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court rejecting the state government’s move to grant a 5% quota in the reservation roster for panchayat elections, and directing issuance of a fresh roster.
Taking a sharp dig at Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Thakur said the government has repeatedly faced setbacks in court over attempts to influence or delay the panchayat elections. “If the Chief Minister had accepted our objections in the Assembly, the government would not have faced embarrassment in court today,” he remarked.
He alleged that the decision to include a 5% quota was unconstitutional and violated Article 243(D) of the Constitution. Thakur said the opposition had protested against the move inside the विधानसभा and warned of legal action if it was not withdrawn.
Accusing the government of deliberately obstructing the electoral process, he claimed that repeated efforts were made to delay elections through administrative interference. “From influencing officials to invoking disaster management provisions to postpone polls, the government has tried every possible method to stall elections,” he said.
Thakur further stated that even the State Election Commission faced undue interference, including transfers of officials and attempts to appoint officers linked to the Chief Minister’s Office instead of independent authorities. He added that such actions also drew criticism from the court.
Referring to earlier court directions, he said the High Court had already ordered the conduct of elections by April 30, while the Supreme Court of India later directed that elections be completed by May 31, questioning the government’s intent.
He also pointed out that the courts had rejected the government’s decisions related to delimitation and electoral rolls, terming them unconstitutional.
“The government’s intent and policy are both questionable. While Congress leaders talk about upholding the Constitution across the country, their actions in Himachal Pradesh reflect the opposite,” Thakur added.
