CHAND PRASAD Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In each of these writ petitions comprising this batch complaint is made that names of persons having voting right have been left out, in small of large numbers, from the voters list prepared for the respective Gram Panchayats for the coming Panchayat elections. Apart from the cases in this batch there are many more cases on the list before this Court making the same grievance.

(2.) Before proceeding further, if may be stated that elections for the local bodies (Gram Panchayats and Zila Parishads) are going to be held in this State after a gap of 22 years. It may also be noted that the necessary will and the drive which made the coming elections possible came from the order passed by this Court in Nand Kishore Singh v. Union of India, (2000) 4 Pat 1 LJR 819. Needless to say, therefore, it is of the utmost concern of this Court that the elections are held on schedule, as fixed by the electroral authorities, and that nothing be allowed to happen that might cause obstruction or delay in the holding of the elections. At the same time this Court is equally concerned that the elections should be meaningful and at the conclusion of the elections process all the efforts and expenses may not appear to have been futile and a waste.

(3.) It is also to be stated here that with the announcement of elections cases in large numbers started coming to this Court making grievances of different kinds in connection with the coming elections. These cases can be broadly classified in three categories.