The Uttarakhand State Election Commission has faced severe consequences for its negligence during the three-tier panchayat elections. The Supreme Court not only dismissed the commission’s appeal against the High Court’s order, but also imposed a penalty of two lakh rupees. The commission had allowed candidates with duplicate names on the voter list to contest the elections. The case revolved around the issue of duplicate voter lists during the panchayat elections. Investigations revealed that more than 700 candidates had their names listed on multiple voter lists, and some of them even won the elections. This irregularity was raised during the election process itself, but the commission, disregarding the rules, allowed these candidates with duplicate entries to contest. A social activist then approached the High Court. The court upheld the complaint, declared the duplicate voter lists invalid, and ordered the commission to take action against such candidates. Instead of complying with the order, the commission appealed directly to the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the Supreme Court took a firm stance, stating that the Election Commission cannot interpret the law; its duty is only to conduct elections fairly. The court rejected the commission’s arguments and imposed a penalty of two lakh rupees. This has brought considerable embarrassment to the Election Commission.
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