Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Manipur Election Deadline Extension

Imphal: The Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge against a Manipur High Court order pushing panchayat elections to October 2026. Justices N. Kotiswar Singh and N.V. Anjaria dismissed the appeal from Pheiroijam Heramani and others. The state now has until October 16, 2026, to get the job done.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the state government must follow the High Court timeline. Failure to act risks contempt proceedings. Petitioners argued that local democratic mandates expired back in 2022. They claimed the state keeps ignoring promises to hold timely votes.

The legal fight centers on the use of Administrative Committees. Petitioners say these committees violate Article 243E of the Constitution. They also challenged the use of Section 109 of the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act to set up these bodies. They contend that law only allows for a single Administrator under specific rules.

The top court decided the High Court already covered the main issues. The bench told the petitioners, "If your right or interest is not affected, you already have direction given by the court to hold the election within a specific period." The judges left the door open for future action if the state fails to follow the court-mandated deadline.