Ordinance fixing minimum educational qualifications for contesting polls: Apex Court refuses to entertain petitions; asks petitioners to first approach High Court

The Apex Court today refused to entertain petitions challenging the validity of Rajasthan Government ordinance which prescribes minimum educational qualification for contesting elections to the local bodies in the state. 

Supreme Court of India

The Bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu said that the petitioners should first move the High Court as the High Court is competent to decide the legal questions involved. 

As per the ordinance, in order to contest the Sarpanch elections, the candidate should have passed Class VIII and in scheduled areas secured a Class V pass. For contesting Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls a candidate has to pass Class X examinations. 

The elections to the local bodies in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held on January 16^th 2015 and the counting on February 5^th 2015. 

 

Rajasthan government promulgates ordinance fixing minimum educational qualifications to be met for contesting elections to local bodies

Ahead of the the local body polls in the state, the Rajasthan government has promulgated an ordinance prescribing minimum educational qualifications to be satisfied to be eligible for contesting the elections to the local bodies in the State.

The ordinance fixing minimum educational qualification, which received the Governor’s assent on Saturday, amends the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

The educational qualification for contesting zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections is now Class 10, and for contesting for sarpanch, Class 8. The eligibility for contesting Scheduled Caste seats is Class 5.

Panchayat polls for Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Sarpanch and Up Sarpanch are due to be held in January next year. The dates of the impending local body polls are expected to be announced early next week