Punjab: Supreme Court sets aside polls in 50 wards, orders re-elections in six weeks

The Supreme Court of India has annulled elections held in 50 wards across the Punjab region, following a fact-finding commission's discovery of significant irregularities during the nomination process. Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and V Mohana issued the ruling, mandating fresh elections in the affected areas. These 50 wards encompass 28 locations in the Patiala district and 22 in Moga.

The Commission reported that the elections were "vitiated" and required to be set aside due to widespread obstruction, including stolen, torn, or destroyed nomination papers, as well as physical assaults, detentions, and threats against candidates. The court accepted the Commission's recommendations and stipulated that the re-election process should be completed within six weeks.

In the court order released on September 28, Kapil Sibal, representing the State of Punjab, expressed no objection to the acceptance of the Commission's findings. The top court emphasized the need for a "free, fair, and transparent" re-election process by instructing the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to appoint a monitoring committee within a week. This committee must include a retired judge of the High Court to oversee the re-election proceedings.