Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that elections to four municipal councils in Punjab be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), delivering a significant ruling ahead of the civic polls scheduled for June 13.
The order applies to the municipal council elections in Sham Chaurasi, Qadian, Gurdaspur and Dinanagar. The decision came after a petition was filed seeking directions for the elections to be conducted using EVMs instead of ballot papers.
Advocate Tushar Madan informed the court that the Election Commission of India had already made EVMs available to the Punjab State Election Commission on May 22.
During the hearing, the Punjab State Election Commission assured the High Court that the upcoming elections would be conducted using EVMs. Following this assurance, the court disposed of the petition.
The issue of EVM-based voting had also reached the High Court before the municipal corporation and council elections held on May 29. At that time, the court declined to intervene, observing that the election schedule had already been notified and it was too late to alter the process.
That earlier petition had been filed by Mohali-based advocate Ruchika Garg.
