NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court for the second time on Thursday refused to entertain petitions challenging a Rajasthan government’s Ordinance prescribing minimum educational criteria for contesting the ongoing Panchayat elections in the state, while asking the Rajasthan High Court to expedite hearing on validity of the Ordinance.
A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Rohinton Fali Nariman refused to stay the elections or issue any interim order on allowing candidates to file nominations for the second and third phase of polls irrespective of their educational background.
It was hearing petition by the Norati Sarpanch and others that more than 50 per cent sitting members were being barred from contesting the elections.
The petitioners had moved the Apex Court since the HC had fixed the next hearing only on March 2 when the polls will be already over as even the counting of votes will be completed on February 5.
From Our Bureau
