New Delhi/Shimla (UNI) The Supreme Court on Friday admitted a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Himachal Pradesh government against a High Court order on panchayat and municipal polls, and extended the deadline for conducting the elections.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the state government and the State Election Commission to complete the election process for panchayati raj Institutions and urban local bodies on or before May 31, 2026. The court further ordered that the reservation roster be finalised and implemented by March 31, 2026.
Speaking to UNI, Advocate General Anoop Rattan stated that the SC allowed the SLP and extended the timeline of the panchayat election in the state.
The High Court had earlier directed the state to issue the reservation roster by February 28 and to conduct elections before April 30, 2026.
Challenging this order, the state government had moved the apex court, citing practical difficulties arising out of heavy snowfall, road blockages, and disaster-related disruptions in several parts of the state.
During the hearing, the state argued that the division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court had not granted adequate time to complete the reservation process. It was also submitted that connectivity issues in remote and snow-bound regions made adherence to the earlier deadline difficult.
The petition also raised questions concerning the applicability of the Disaster Management Act, which remains in force in Himachal Pradesh. The state sought clarity on whether elections could be deferred temporarily under such circumstances, pointing to a potential legal overlap between the Central Disaster Management Act and the State Panchayati Raj Act.
Accepting the State’s submissions to a limited extent, the Supreme Court granted an additional month beyond the High Court’s deadline, but maintained that elections must not be indefinitely delayed.
Elections are due in 3,577 panchayats and 73 urban local bodies in the state. With administrators currently managing several of these institutions, the Supreme Court’s order sets a definitive outer limit for restoring elected local governance in Himachal Pradesh.
SC extends Himachal Pradesh panchayat election deadline
