Supreme Court orders fresh elections in 50 Punjab municipal wards

The Supreme Court of India has invalidated elections in 50 municipal wards across the Patiala and Moga districts of Punjab, ordering fresh elections to be conducted within six weeks. The decision follows an inquiry by former Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, which uncovered widespread irregularities during the nomination process.

The inquiry found that candidates were subjected to physical assaults, threats, and detention. Specific findings included the snatching, tearing, or destruction of nomination papers, as well as the prevention of opposition candidates from filing their papers. In Patiala, 28 wards were found to be vitiated, while in Moga, irregularities were documented in seven wards of Dharamkot and all 15 wards of Baghapurana.

To ensure the integrity of the upcoming polls, the Court directed the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to appoint a monitoring committee led by a retired High Court judge. The process will also include the appointment of senior lawyers as election observers and mandatory videography from the nomination stage through to polling. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that the decision exposes high-handedness and the misuse of power to suppress opposition voices.