Hon’ble Rakesh Srivastava, J.—Heard Shri Pankaj Gupta, learned counsel for the petitioner; learned Standing Counsel appearing for respondent Nos. 1 and 2 and Shri Asit Chaturvedi, Senior Counsel assisted by Shri Bagesh Shukla, learned counsel for respondent No. 3.

2. The petitioner is an elected Pradhan of Gram Laksmanpur, Tehsil Lalganj, District Pratapgarh. Respondent No. 3 herein challenged the election of the petitioner under Section 12-C of the U.P. Panchayat Raj Act, 1947 (for short ‘the Act’) by means of Election Petition No. 2920 of 2015 (Ramesh Kanaujia v. Amar Chandra and others). The prayer made in the said election petition is extracted below:

^^vr% Jheku th ls fuosnu gS fd xzke iapk;r o foŒ[kŒ y{e.kiqj ij lnj rglhy ykyxat tuin izrkix<+ esa 13-12-2015 dks ?kksf"kr ifj.kke dks jksdrs iqu% erx.kuk djk;s tkus ds lEcU/k esa vkns'k ikfjr djus dh d`ik djsaA**

3. On 10.12.2018, the election petition has been finally disposed of. The operative portion of the order dated 10.12.2018 passed by the Prescribed Authority is extracted below:

^^--------mHk;i{kksa ds fo}ku vfèkoDrkx.kksa dh cgl dks lqukA okn esa fu/kkZfjr 4 fcUnqvksa ds fuLrkj.k bl izdkj gaSA

1- D;k erx.kuk esa /kka/kyh gq;h gS\ xzke iapk;r y{e.kiqj] cwFk la[;k v ij 475 er og c cwFk ij 382 er dqy 857 er iM+s FksA dqy erksa esa 75 er x.kuk ds le; voS/k dj fn;k x;kA ftlesa v cwFk ij ;kph ds er T;knk iM+s gksus ds dkj.k v cwFk ij 72 er voS/k o c cwFk ij ftl ij ;kph ds de er iM+s Fks mlesa ls rhu er voS/k fd;s x;sA tks lekukUrj ugha gSA blls izrhr gksrk gS fd erx.kuk esa èkka/kyh gq;h gSA mDr okn fcUnq ;kph ds i{k esa tkrk gSA

2- D;k erx.kuk fd;k tkuk vko';d gS ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky; ds vkns'kkFkZ ;g fl) gksrk gS fd ;fn erx.kuk esa 1 ls 8 er rd dh ckr vfu;fefrrk dkfjr dh x;h gS rks izkd`frd U;k; ds fl)kUr U;k;kfpr gksrk gS iquZerx.kuk gh vk/kkj curk gS blfy, ;g okn fcUnq ;kph ds i{k esa tkrk gSA

3- D;k okn fof/kd izfØ;k ds rgr nkf[ky gSA mŒizŒ iapk;r jkt fu;ekoyh ds fu;e 3 esa pquko ;kfpdk nkf[ky djus dh vof/k pquko ?kks"k.kk ds 90 fnu ds vUnj ;kfpdk ;ksftr dh tk ldrh gSA 'krZ ;g gS fd xzke iapk;r ,oa ftyk Q.M esa 50 :i;s dk Vªstjh pkyku tek gks ;kph }kjk pquko ?kks"k.kk ds 7 fnu ds vUnj 50 :i;s dk Vªstjh pkyku ds lkFk Lo;a U;k;ky; esa izLrqr gksdj ;kfpdk ;ksftr fd;k gS tks vUnj fe;kn gS rFkk vius nkos ds leFkZu esa izi= 7 o ftykf/kdkjh izrkix<+ iqfyl v/kh{kd izrkix<+ rFkk eq[; fuokZpu vf/kdkjh mŒizŒ 'kklu dks Hksts x;s QSDl jlhn o vkosnu izLrqr fd;k gS rFkk ;kfpdk fof/kd izfØ;k ds vUrxZr ;ksftr gksus ds dkj.k mDr okn fcUnq dk fuLrkj.k ;kph ds i{k esa tkrk gSA

4- D;k okn iks"k.kh; gS\ iapk;r jkt fu;ekoyh 1947 esa ;g izfn"V gS fd ;kfpdk vUnj fe;kn nkf[ky gS rks lquokbZ djuk U;k; ij[k gS mDr ;kfpdk ;kph }kjk leLr dkuwuh miØe ds okn ;ksftr fd;k gS tks xzkg~; gksus ds dkj.k Lohdkj gksus ;ksX; gSA okn fcUnq dk fuLrkj.k ;kph ds i{k esa tkrk gSA iquZerx.kuk U;k;kFkZ vko';d gSA izfroknhx.kksa ds lk{kh us Hkh bl ckr dks Lohdkjk gS ,oa erx.kuk ds le; ;kph ds vfHkdrkZ fo/kjkt }kjk iquZerx.kuk dk vkosnu fd;k x;k Fkk eSa mHk;i{kksa ds fo}ku vf/koDrkx.kksa ds rdksZ ,oa dkxtkrksa dk ifj'khyu fd;k ftlesa eaS bl vfHker ij igqaprk gwa fd er x.kuk esa ikjnf'kZrk ugha uSlfxZd U;k; ds rgr ;fn pquko vf/kdkjh iquZerx.kuk djk fn;s gksrs rks okn nk;j djus dh vko';drk izrhr u gksrhA mijksDr rF;ksa ds vk/kkj ij ;kfpdk Lohdkj dh tkrh gS rFkk iquZerx.kuk djk;k tkuk U;k;laxr gSA

vkns'k

vr% xzke iapk;r y{e.kiqj foŒ[kŒ y{e.kiqj] rglhy ykyxat tuin izrkix<+ ds iz/kku in dh iquZerx.kuk dk vkns'k fn;k tkrk gS iquZerx.kuk fnukad 24-12-2018 rglhy ykyxat ds U;k;ky; esa lEiUu gks vkns'k dh izfr eq[; fodkl vf/kdkjh izrkix<+ dks izHkkjh vf/kdkjh iap LFkkuh; pquko izrkix<+ dks iquZerx.kuk gsrq okafNr vfHkys[kksa dks miyCèk djkus ,oa ftyk iapk;r jkt vf/kdkjh izrkix<+ dks iszf"kr fd;k tk;A vkns'k dh izfr [k.M fodkl vf/kdkjh y{e.kiqj dks vius lkFk ikap x.kD; ds lkFk mifLFkr jgdj iquZerx.kuk esa lg;ksx djus ,oa izHkkjh fujh{kd ykyxat dks mDr le; vko';d lqu{kk O;oLFkk djus gsrq izsf"kr gksA**

(Emphasis supplied)