Supreme Court sets aside elections in 50 wards in Punjab, orders fresh polls

The Supreme Court has ordered fresh elections in 50 municipal wards in Punjab after a fact-finding commission found “widespread obstruction during the nomination process” in the local body polls.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana set aside elections in 50 wards – 28 in Patiala district and 22 in Moga.

The top court passed the order after accepting the findings of a one-member commission headed by former High Court judge Nirmaljit Kaur.

The local body elections took place on December 21, 2024.

The commission was appointed on March 24, 2025, and it submitted its report on November 18, 2025.

“The principal finding of the Commission is of widespread obstruction during the nomination process, whereby nomination papers were snatched, torn or destroyed, and candidates were assaulted, detained or threatened.”

“We accept the recommendations and direct that fresh elections be conducted in the relevant 50 wards. The entire process of re-election shall be completed within six weeks,” the Bench said in the September 28 order which was uploaded last night.

The apex court noted the submission of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Punjab government, that the State has no objection to the commission’s recommendations.

The top court asked the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to nominate at least two or three senior members of the high court bar to act as ‘Observers’ in the re-election process.

“The filing, scrutiny/submission of nomination forms, allocation of symbols, polling, etc. shall be videographed in the presence of the said Observers. The recordings shall be duly preserved and handed over to the Monitoring Committee.

“The State of Punjab shall furnish to the Monitoring Committee, before the filing of nominations begins, a ward-wise list of the officers/officials deployed on election duty. Further, the list of police officers on duty in the rank of DSP and above shall also be furnished,” the Bench said.

The apex court said that any complaint concerning interference with, or obstruction of, the re-election process by any person, including any official, may be made to the Monitoring Committee.

“The honorarium payable to the Monitoring Committee as well as the Observers shall be fixed by the Chief Justice of the High Court.

“The honorarium as well as the incidental expenses of the Monitoring Committee and the Observers shall be borne by the Government of Punjab, which shall also provide them with the necessary secretarial, transportation, logistical, and security support,” the Bench said.

The Bench said a report be submitted to the Chief Justice of the High Court after completion of the entire re-election process.

“The re-election process shall be deemed to be completed only upon the Chief Justice of the High Court being satisfied, on the basis of the report submitted, that they were conducted in a free and fair manner,” the Bench said.

Several candidates who were allegedly not allowed to file their nomination papers, or those who were aggrieved by the election of mayor and deputy mayor in Patiala municipal body, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

On January 10, 2025, the High Court allowed the elections in the Patiala Municipal Corporation, saying the deferment in some wards would not be an impediment.

Aggrieved by the order, the candidates moved the apex court.