New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a stay on a law in Haryana that sets mandatory educational qualifications for candidates contesting Panchayat election in the state. It has also sought response from the Haryana government 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.
As per the law passed by the state assembly on September 7, 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. They should also not have a criminal conviction, no pending electricity bills or loan payments and a working toilet. However, the petition against the law said that it made most of the candidates in the state ineligible and is mostly against the constitution. The law had been passed in the assembly following a similar ordinance issued by the BJP government got a stay ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Panchayat elections in Haryana are scheduled to be held in three phases, on October 4, 11 and 18. Over million 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 would set up more than 21,000 polling booths for the election.
