Ahmedabad:
An ordinance or executive order by the Gujarat Government, meant to delay civic body polls in the state, is unconstitutional, the Gujarat High Court has said. The decision of the Election Commission to delay the polls was illegal, the court had said.
The court has ordered the state Election Commission to start electoral process immediately. The state government has been asked to provide all necessary security measures.
The court was hearing a petition filed on October 9, that challenged the executive order passed to delay the election by three months.
The counsel for the petitioners, Shaktisinh Gohil, is a senior Congress leader and spokesperson of the party's state unit.
The Election Commission had suggested a delay after assessing the law and order situation. Lately there had been unrest in the state following the Patel agitation for quota.
Earlier, the high court had put on hold a controversial decision of the state government to make voting in local body elections compulsory.