NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Friday said a candidate, whose name is registered as a voter in multiple constituencies, can’t contest polls. It dismissed Uttarakhand state election commission’s appeal challenging HC’s interim order that had stayed its circular permitting such persons to take part in panchayat polls. “How can you issue a circular that is contrary to statutory provisions,” asked SC and imposed a cost of Rs 2 lakh on SEC.U’khand SEC’s circular won’t be acted upon: Supreme Court The Uttarakhand state election commission’s circular had advised returning officers not to reject nomination papers of a candidate only on the ground that his/her name is included in electoral rolls of more than one gram panchayat, territorial constituency, or municipal body. The SC bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the circular would not be acted upon.HC had stayed the circular when a petitioner pointed out letting candidates whose names were registered in multiple voter lists contest polls was in breach of section 9(6) and 9(7) of Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2016. It said, “When the statute expressly prohibits registration of a voter in more than one territorial constituency or more than one electoral roll and the same being a statutory bar, the clarification given by SEC appears to be in the teeth of the bar under sub-sections 6 and 7 of section 9.”
