BENGALURU: The Divisional bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bhakru and Justice C.M. Poonacha issued notice on Wednesday to the Congress-led government in Karnataka and directed it to finalise reservations concerning the 5, 950 Gram Panchayats (GPs) whose terms will expire by January 2026.
The bench issued the notice while looking into the petition of the State Election Commission (SEC).
The SEC sought immediate direction and action from the state government with regard to issuing final nominations for the reservation of seats under Section 5 (5) of the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993.
The court has also asked the state government to take the matter seriously and file objections in two weeks.
Niloufer Akbar, the counsel representing the government, submitted to the court that the petition is about the office that will become vacant in January 2026. Since the vacancy is in the future, the counsel asked the court to give one week to consult with the government and get further instructions on how to proceed.