Supreme Court orders re-elections in 50 Patiala and Moga wards
Big update for Punjab: The Supreme Court has called for re-elections in 50 municipal wards across Patiala and Moga.
This comes after a probe found that the last local body polls (held in December 2024) were marred by major disruptions during the nomination process, so much so that the court said a fair vote just wasn't possible.
High court observers to monitor polls
The re-elections have to happen within six weeks and will be closely watched by observers chosen by the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Every step, from nominations to voting, will be on camera.
Plus, the Punjab government will bear the honorarium as well as the incidental expenses of the Monitoring Committee and the Observers, provide staff lists, and help track any complaints, with a final report going straight to the chief justice to make sure everything's done right.