New Delhi [India], January 8: The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has temporarily stayed the Bombay High Court’s order directing the Election Commission to conduct an immediate bypoll for the vacant Pune Lok Sabha seat. The seat became available after the passing of MP Girish Bapat.
The bench criticized the Election Commission for the prolonged delay in conducting the by-election, highlighting the vacancy since March 29, 2023. The Supreme Court plans to review the case in March or April and establish guidelines for timely elections in case of vacancies.
The Election Commission argued that holding the by-election would be impractical due to the approaching end of the current Lok Sabha’s tenure on June 16, 2024, and the impending general elections later this year.
Notices have been issued to Pune resident Sughosh Joshi and others in response to the Election Commission’s plea against the Bombay High Court’s December 13, 2023, order. The High Court had directed the Election Commission to promptly organize the by-election, emphasizing the necessity to avoid leaving the constituency unrepresented for an extended period.
This development stems from a plea filed by Pune resident Sughosh Joshi challenging the Election Commission’s decision not to hold the by-election, prompting the Election Commission’s appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order.
