File photo of the Supreme Court
A law in Haryana that set mandatory educational qualifications for candidates contesting Panchayat elections in the state was stayed by the Supreme Court today.
Based on a petition filed by the All India Democratic Women's Association which said the law violated a candidate's right to contest elections, the court also issued a notice to the Haryana government seeking its response.
According to the law passed on September 7 by the state assembly, while general candidates must have passed class 10 examinations, women and Dalit candidates are required to have cleared class 8 to contest the Panchayat polls.
Candidates should also not have a criminal conviction, no pending electricity bills or loan payments and a working toilet, the law had said.
But the petition against the law said that it made most of the candidates in the state ineligible and is against the constitution.
Till the government responds to the top court's order, it cannot hold polls under the current law. It has the choice of postponing the polls or reversing the law.
The law had been passed in state assembly after a similar ordinance issued by the BJP government in state was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court following a petition.
Panchayat elections in Haryana are scheduled to be held in three phases on October 4, 11 and 18 this year. More than 1.10 crore voters are eligible to vote in the elections.
More than 72,000 posts of panchayat members, panchayat samitis and zila parishads will be up for vote, nominations for which opened on September 15.
The State Election Commission has said that it will set up more than 21,000 polling booths for the election.