"In view of the orders of the Supreme Court, the State Election Commission is not in position to continue with the process and has accordingly decided to put on hold all the activities in pursuant to Commission's notification dated September 8 and all other notifications/orders issued subsequently," Haryana State Election Commissioner Rajeev Sharma today said here.
Haryana government on Tuesday had told the Supreme Court that it would be "inappropriate" at the moment to tweak the minimum educational criteria fixed by a recent amendment in state election law for candidates to contest panchayat polls.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Haryana, had told the bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre to "let the petition be decided at the earliest if the court does not agree with the plea to vacate its interim order."
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission had said that the nomination papers received with respect to Zila Parishad, first phase elections of Panches, Sarpanches and Members Panchayat Samitis and for the second phase of Panches, Sarpanches and Members Panchayat Samitis would be kept intact in the office of Returning Officer for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis concerned.
In the case of Gram Panchayat, nomination papers shall be kept intact in the office of Block Development and Panchayat Officer concerned till further orders.