States » NorthPosted at: Oct 14 2026 6:46PM

Allahabad HC rejects petitions challenging appointment of gram pradhans as administrators, directs panchayat polls in next three months

Prayagraj, Oct 14 (UNI) In a big relief to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Allahabad High Court has accepted that the appointment of gram pradhans as an administrator is valid but has directed the state governmnent and the State Election Commission to hold the three-tier panchayat polls with three months.
Disposing of all the petitions challenging the appointment of gram pradhans as administrators, the court maintained that there was no legal flaw in the appointment due to not holding of the panchayat polls.
A division of Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Garima Prasad delivered the verdict after a lengthy three-hours hearing on Wednesday and immediately thereafter give the verdict.
The bench said that the panchayat polls should be held in next three months as per the present framework though there will be no hurdle in the functioning of the Backward Classes Commission set up by the state government.
The matter had come to the court regarding the appointment of outgoing village heads as administrators after the expiry of the terms of Gram Panchayats.
Furthermore, the court dismissed all petitions challenging the appointment of administrators and the validity of the Act.
The court stated that the OBC Commission will continue its work and will not be hindered, but the election process will not depend on the Commission's work.
The elections will be conducted under the existing rules and framework, adhering to the 27% reservation provision.
Following this High Court order, the question has arisen as to whether the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be held after the Panchayat elections.
The High Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission to clarify its preparations for the 2026 Gram Panchayat elections.
Petitioner Imtiaz Hussain argued in court that, according to Article 243E of the Constitution, a Panchayat's term can be limited to a maximum of five years from the date of its first meeting, and no more. Therefore, it is essential to hold elections on time.
The State Election Commission argued that, under Section 12-BB of the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1947, it is the state government's responsibility to issue a notification fixing the date for the general election or by-election for the post of Pradhan.
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Tags: #Allahabad HC rejects petitions challenging appointment of gram pradhans as administrators # directs panchayat polls in next three months

Three rebel SP MLAs formally join BJP in Amethi

14 Oct 2026 | 7:29 PM

By Manoj Bhadra
Amethi, Oct 14 (UNI) Giving a strong message to the opposition, particularly the Congress, before the assembly polls, three rebel Samajwadi Party MLAs, Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh, and Vinod Chaturvedi, on Wednesday formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Uttar Pradesh BJP president and union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary and BJP general secretary and former union minister Smriti Irani.

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