HC sets 1-month deadline for govt to issue final notification on zilla, taluk panchayat elections
Bengaluru, Nov 9: The High Court of Karnataka has set a final deadline of one month to complete the delimitation and reservation process for the elections to the zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats in the state.
On June 28, 2023, the HC had granted the new state government (that had come to power after assembly polls in May this year) 10 weeks to redo the delimitation exercise.
On Thursday, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state government, submitted that the delimitation and reservation process for the panchayat elections is underway.
The HC said it was providing the state government with a final one-month window to issue the final notification on the election.
The bench emphasised the importance of conducting the elections promptly, given the constitutional obligation. The Supreme Court had previously cautioned the state government twice on the matter of not conducting elections to local bodies with a statutory mandate.
A public interest litigation filed by the State Election Commission (SEC) was heard by a division bench led by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit. The bench has scheduled the next hearing for December 19.
The SEC had prepared for the ZP-TP polls in Karnataka in April and May of 2021. It had completed the delimitation exercise on constituencies and the final list of voters was also published. The reservation draft was also announced by the SEC.
However, before the SEC could announce the election schedule, the then State Government amended the Karnataka Panchayat Raj and Gram Swaraj Act, withdrawing the powers of the Commission to redraw the constituencies and prepare the reservation list. A new delimitation panel was created by the State to conduct the exercise.
The SEC has challenged the amendment to the Act before the HC.
The state government has repeatedly sought time to complete the exercise and the election has been pending ever since. The HC had in December 2022 even imposed a cost of Rs five lakh on the government for its delaying tactics.
The court's decision to grant a one-month grace period to the state government for the completion of the delimitation and reservation process reflects its understanding of the practical challenges involved, the HC said.
The bench conveyed its expectation that the government would make every effort to expedite the process and facilitate the conduct of elections without further delay.
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Andhra CM thanks President for giving assent to bill recognising Amaravati as capital
Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has thanked President Droupadi Murmu for giving assent to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which recognises the greenfield city of Amaravati as the capital.
The Act was published in The Gazette of India, following the presidential assent.
The Chief Minister thanked the Union Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to the southern state and his guidance to all the MPs for supporting the 'Amaravati Bill'.
"On behalf of my people of Andhra Pradesh, I express profound gratitude to Hon'ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji for her gracious assent to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, fulfilling the long-cherished dream of our capital," Naidu said in a post on X on Monday.
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The chief minister also thanked PM Modi for guiding state leaders and every citizen who stood with Andhra Pradesh.
"This is a victory for my people of Andhra Pradesh, especially my farmers of Amaravati," he said.
"The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amaravati," Naidu said in a post on X on Tuesday.
With the President's assent, IT Minister Nara Lokesh said the dream of our capital has officially become a reality.
"Today is a historic day for every citizen of Andhra Pradesh," Lokesh said in a post on X.
He said that he was joining millions of Telugu people to express his gratitude to PM Modi for his vision and support in championing the state's future.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said that April 6 will be etched in history as the day Amaravati was officially recognised as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
"On this historic occasion, following the passage of the Bill in Parliament and the issuance of the Gazette Notification by the Government of India, and with the assent of the Hon'ble President of Bharat, this long-awaited aspiration of the people of Andhra Pradesh has finally been fulfilled," Kalyan said in a post on X.
He thanked Murmu, Modi, and Naidu for making this historic moment possible.
