Supreme Court to appoint judge for Punjab election grievances

The Supreme Court of India has decided to appoint a retired high court judge to investigate complaints from candidates about the recent municipal body elections in Punjab. This decision came from a bench consisting of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh. The justices asked both the Punjab government and the complainants to suggest a suitable retired judge. They emphasized the importance of maintaining public trust in the electoral process and stated that allegations against election authorities should be reviewed by an independent party. The court plans to issue a detailed order outlining the investigation's terms within the next couple of days. The next hearing is scheduled for May 22. The inquiry will take place in Chandigarh, allowing petitioners to present their complaints about the elections held from December 2024 to January 2025. Lawyers representing the candidates argued that many were not allowed to file their nomination papers. However, the Punjab advocate general, Gurminder Singh, disagreed and asserted that all procedures were followed correctly. The ruling party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), secured a win in Patiala but did not achieve a majority in cities like Ludhiana and Jalandhar. In other areas, the Congress party was the leading party. Candidates unhappy with the election results or the nomination process have previously approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, which then allowed mayoral elections to proceed in Patiala.