Uttarakhand HC orders Govt to file affidavit

The Uttarakhand High Court in adjudicating petitions contesting the Reservation Rules 2024 promulgated for the impending municipal elections, has mandated the state government to file a reply affidavit within a period of 4 weeks.

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Justice Rakesh Thapliyal, presiding over a single-judge bench, refrained from issuing any interim relief following the initial hearing.

The petitioners advanced the argument that the reservation notification had been promulgated in contravention of established procedural norms. They further asserted that the election schedule was promulgated on the same evening as the reservation notification, thereby precluding any opportunity for stakeholders to submit objections.

As stipulated by existing regulations, there exists a formal mechanism for raising objections subsequent to the issuance of reservation notifications—a procedural safeguard that, according to the petitioners, was disregarded by both the state administration and the Election Commission.