MANJIT KAUR Vs. PUNJAB STATE ELECTION COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS order shall dispose of Civil Writ Petitions No. 10666 to 10668 of 2008. CWPs No. 10666 and 10667 of 2008 have been filed by Manjit Kaur, who was a candidate for the election of Panch of Gram Panchayat, Village Rohjari, District Jalandhar, from the seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women). CWP No. 10668 of 2008 has been filed by Balwinder Kaur, who had withdrawn her nomination paper for contesting the election of Panch from the aforesaid reserve seat.

(2.) IN all these three petitions, the petitioners have prayed for quashing three separate orders dated 24.5.2008, whereby Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Jalandhar, while rejecting the nomination papers of Smt. Bholi, Smt. Kiran and Smt. Paramjit Kaur, filed by them to contest the election for the post of Panch from the seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women), ordered to countermand the poll only to the post of Panch reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women). The petitioners have further prayed for issuing direction to the official respondents to declare Smt. Manjit Kaur (petitioner in CWPs No. 10666 and 10667 of 2008) as elected unopposed to the post of Panch reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women).

(3.) FOR the post of Panch, reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women), 6 nomination papers were filed i.e. by Manjit Kaur (petitioner in CWPs No. 10666 and 10667 of 2008), Balwinder Kaur (petitioner in CWP No. 10668 of 2008), Krishna, Bholi, Kiran and Paramjit Kaur. However, Balwinder Kaur and Krishna withdrew their candidature on 19.5.2008. After scrutiny, in spite of the objections raised by Manjit Kaur and Balwinder Kaur, nomination papers of Bholi, Kiran and Paramjit Kaur were accepted.