Uttarakhand Panchayat Elections 2025: Notification issued in July, elections in 12 districts except Haridwar
The picture is now becoming clear regarding the much-awaited Panchayat elections 2025 in Uttarakhand. The State Election Commission has indicated that the notification for panchayat elections will be issued in July 2025, although these elections will be held in only 12 districts. Haridwar district will be out of this, due to reservation dispute.
What is the whole matter?
A three-tier panchayat system is in force in Uttarakhand which includes Gram Panchayat, Kshetra Panchayat and District Panchayat. The previous term of the panchayats has ended and the elections could not be held on time, the main reason for which is being cited as the late receipt of recommendations on OBC reservation and legal hurdles related to it.
Why delay in elections?
The Uttarakhand government has told the High Court that in February 2025, the commission headed by former judge BS Verma had submitted its recommendations regarding OBC reservation.
However, it took time to implement these recommendations, due to which the reservation and allocation of seats will be done only by June 2025.
The State Election Commission will issue the election notification in July after the completion of this reservation process.
What happened in the court?
An 18-page affidavit has been filed in the High Court on behalf of Panchayati Raj Secretary Chandresh Kumar Yadav, which states that:
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The appointment of administrators in panchayats is valid under the Panchayati Raj Act 2016.
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Administrators have been appointed only for a period of six months.
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They do not have the right to take policy decisions, only to conduct daily work.
Some petitioners, including former village head Vijay Tiwari, had objected to this process. They allege that instead of holding elections on time, the government made the outgoing village heads administrators and also gave them financial powers, which may affect the electoral fairness.
What was the government's response?
The state government says:
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The delay in the elections is due to extraordinary circumstances.
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The final decision on OBC reservation is still pending.
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The allegations of the petitioners are false and misleading.
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There is no legal violation in the government's action.
In which districts will panchayat elections be held?
Out of the 13 districts of Uttarakhand, elections will be held in the remaining 12 districts except Haridwar. These include:
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Dehradun
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Pauri Garhwal
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Tehri Garhwal
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Uttarkashi
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Rudraprayag
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Chamoli
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Almora
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Nainital
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Bageshwar
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Pithoragarh
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Champawat
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Udham Singh Nagar
Panchayat elections in Haridwar district will remain suspended for now, until the reservation dispute is resolved.
What happens next?
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June 2025: Reservation and allocation of panchayat seats will be published.
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July 2025: The election notification will be issued by the State Election Commission.
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After the notification is issued, the process of nomination, voting and counting of votes will be decided.
Conclusion
The picture is now almost clear regarding Uttarakhand Panchayat Elections 2025. The government and the Election Commission are preparing to issue a notification in July, so that the panchayat system can be re-established. However, the absence of elections in Haridwar district and the pending decision on OBC reservation are still raising questions on this process. The eyes of the public are now fixed on the election notification and the process thereafter.