Supreme Court stays Nagaland order cancelling local body poll

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed an order passed by the Nagaland government that cancelled local body polls scheduled for May with a third of the seats reserved for women.

On March 30, the state government had asked the State Election Commission to cancel the election, giving into opposition from tribal groups that don't favour reservation for women.

Taking exception to the decision of the state government, a bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said cancelling the election amounts to contempt of court. It also issued a notice to the state government seeking its response in the matter.


The development took place during the resumed hearing of a plea challenging a resolution passed in the Nagaland Assembly in September 2021 that exempted the state from implementing a Constitutional provision which makes 33% reservation for women in civic bodies mandatory.

Last month, the State Election Commission had told the court that the polls will be held on May 16 with women's quota. The top court had ordered that the election schedule should not be altered at any cost.

The state government had also told the court that it would hold the polls with the women's quota. But in March, it gave in to the demands of the tribal groups and asked the election commission to cancel the polls.

The case will now come up for resumed hearing on April 17.