Bengaluru, Nov 12 (NationPress) A notice was issued on Wednesday by the Divisional bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bhakru and Justice C.M. Poonacha to the Congress-led administration in Karnataka, mandating the finalization of seat reservations for approximately 5,950 Gram Panchayats (GPs) whose terms are set to expire by January 2026.

This notice was part of the court's review of a petition filed by the State Election Commission (SEC).

The SEC requested urgent direction and action from the state government regarding the final nominations for seat reservations as mandated under Section 5 (5) of the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993.

The court emphasized the need for the state government to treat this matter with urgency and submit objections within two weeks.

Niloufer Akbar, the representative for the government, informed the court that the petition pertains to offices that will become vacant in January 2026. Given the future vacancy, she requested the court to grant a week for the government to consult and provide further instructions on how to proceed.

The bench remarked that failure to promptly publish the reservation details for panchayat seats could result in delayed local body elections, necessitating the appointment of administrators to oversee these entities—a situation the court aims to avert.

Furthermore, the bench noted that the state government should engage in proactive planning rather than procrastinating until the last moment. The petition highlighted that approximately 5,000 seats in the panchayats will soon be vacant, requiring elections to be conducted.

However, these elections cannot occur until the government releases the reservation list. The bench pointed out that the SEC cannot issue election notices until the reservation details are finalized.

The court has scheduled the matter for hearing on December 11.

It is noteworthy that the SEC has approached the High Court regarding the conduct of local body elections for Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayats.

Despite this, both the SEC and the government have commenced preparations for gram panchayat elections, with the five-year terms of more than 5,950 GPs ending between December 2025 and January 2026.

The commissioner of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissionerate has directed the CEOs of all 31 zilla panchayats to compile lists of GPs nearing the end of their terms.

Previously, local body elections were conducted in two phases on December 22 and 27, 2020, involving over 5,950 GPs and nearly 93,000 wards.

Some MLCs elected from local bodies have suggested incorporating party symbols in GP elections. In response, RDPR minister Priyank Kharge stated during the monsoon session that a committee has been established to review this proposal.

However, in September, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the idea, labeling it a "bad idea" that could foster political factionalism in villages and disrupt community harmony.