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Karnataka High Court Gives State Two Weeks on Gram Panchayat Reservation Notifications

The election commission says the missing Section 5(5) final lists block poll notices for about 5,950 gram panchayats, risking delays with administrators taking charge.

Overview

  • The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C. M. Poonacha issued notice on November 12 and listed the case for further hearing on December 11.
  • The State government was directed to file its objections within two weeks after the court termed the matter serious.
  • The Bench cautioned that without final reservation details the SEC cannot issue election notices, which could delay polls and force appointment of administrators.
  • The SEC told the court it sent three reminders since May seeking the statutory Section 5(5) notifications and said the government did not respond.
  • Government advocate Niloufer Akbar argued the plea is premature because vacancies arise in January 2026 and sought a week to take instructions, as roughly 5,950 GPs complete terms between December 2025 and January 2026 with about 5,000 posts set to fall vacant.