Punjab local polls: SC rejects plea challenging use of ballot papers

Supreme Court of India. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on Monday (May 25, 2026) challenged the Punjab State Election Commission’s decision to hold elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats through ballot papers.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi questioned petitioner Ruchita Garg for approaching the court late and said that she cannot destabilize the election process now.

“Elections are tomorrow, what can be done now? There is no time left,” said the Bench.

“You did not have to wait for the formal announcement of the election schedule. You knew that the elections were to be held. There have been several rounds of litigation earlier,” the Bench said.

It also refused to appoint election observers, calling it a very serious ban and we will not do it.

The petitioner’s counsel said that elections are conducted on the basis of ballot papers and referred to the Supreme Court judgment in the ADR case, which said that EVMs must be the norm.

The Supreme Court was hearing a plea against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order dismissing Ms Garga’s plea challenging the State Election Commission’s decision to switch from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ballot papers in the upcoming local body polls in Punjab.

Elections to 104 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations in Punjab, will be held on May 26. The counting of votes will take place on May 29.

The SEC had earlier told the Supreme Court that the local polls were being conducted through ballot papers as the EC had not provided the EVMs as per the schedule decided by it.

The Attorney General opposed the petition on maintainability grounds.

Published – 25 May 2026 14:51 IST