SUPRIYA SHIT Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is a reserved category candidate who contested the Panchayat General Elections, 2023 and has been declared as the returned candidate. The seat of Pradhan in the subject Gram Panchayat is reserved for the Scheduled Caste category member. None of the elected members but for the petitioner belongs to the reserved category.

(2.) The Board of the Panchayat could not be constituted on the day of election of Pradhan as none proposed the name of the petitioner for the seat of Pradhan.

(3.) The petitioner contends that as she is the sole reserved category member, and, as such, she ought to be elected for the seat of Pradhan uncontested, irrespective of the fact whether her name is proposed or not. Prayer has been made for electing the petitioner as Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat.