NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that individuals registered as voters in multiple constituencies are ineligible to contest elections. The court dismissed an appeal by the Uttarakhand State Election Commission (SEC) that challenged a High Court interim order. The High Court had stayed the SEC’s circular, which allowed candidates with multiple voter registrations to participate in panchayat elections.
“How can you issue a circular that contradicts statutory provisions?” the Supreme Court remarked, imposing a fine of Rs 2 lakh on the SEC.
Uttarakhand SEC Circular Invalidated by Supreme Court
The Uttarakhand SEC’s controversial circular had instructed returning officers not to disqualify candidates solely because their names appeared in the voter rolls of more than one constituency—be it a gram panchayat, territorial constituency, or municipal body. However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, ruled that this circular would not be implemented.
The High Court had earlier stayed the circular after a petitioner argued that allowing candidates registered in multiple voter lists to contest elections violated sections 9(6) and 9(7) of the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2016. The court observed, “When the statute explicitly prohibits the registration of a voter in more than one territorial constituency or electoral roll, the SEC’s clarification directly contradicts this statutory restriction.”
