The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand poll schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC).
A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar dismissed a public interest writ petition seeking rescheduling of the Assembly elections, holding that it was not for the court to decide the schedule.
Petitioner C. P. Vyas said that while the U.P. Assembly elections were to be held in seven phases next month, municipal polls in the State had already been fixed for February 18. Moreover, the State Board and the Central Board of Secondary Education had already scheduled their examinations to commence from March 1.
Mr. Vyas said the EC ought to have considered the hardship that might be caused to students by use of loudspeakers during propaganda.
In Uttarakhand, he said, it would be difficult for people to cast their votes in the chill weather in January. Elections in the State have been scheduled for January 30.
