Voters wait to exercise their franchise during the elections to urban local bodies held across Nagaland on June 26. The results were declared on June 29. With the successful completion of civic polls with 33% reservation, the Supreme Court closed a civil appeal on the issue on July 23. (Morung File Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 23
The Supreme Court closed contempt of court proceedings against the State of Nagaland following the successful conduct of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections with 33 percent reservation for women.
The results of polls, held across Nagaland on June 26 after a 20-year hiatus, were declared on June 29.
Though the Court's order was yet to be uploaded at the time of reporting, the case status on the apex court's website is shown as 'disposed off.’
Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan presided over the case on Tuesday. According to legal news portal Bar & Bench, during the hearing the Court lauded Nagaland's achievement in conducting civic polls with 33% women's reservation as "very commendable."
Advocate General KN Balgopal, representing the State, submitted an affidavit from the chief secretary indicating 198 women candidates participated in the elections and 103 of them were elected.
With the election concluded successfully, the civil appeal was deemed 'infructuous' or unnecessary and disposed off the case.
As per the State Election Commission, 102 women candidates, including 8 from unreserved wards, emerged victorious out of the 198 who participated, in the Nagaland ULBs elections 2024.
The appeal, originally lodged in 2012 as a Special Leave Petition, was subsequently converted into a Civil Appeal in 2016. It pertained to the conduct of elections with 33% reservation for women in ULBs and contested the September 22, 2012 Assembly Resolution that exempted Nagaland from implementing Article 243-T of Part IX-A of the Constitution of India, which mandates one-third reservation of seats for women in ULBs.
Throughout the hearings, the Supreme Court issued directives and reprimanded the State for not complying with constitutional mandates. The Court's periodic interventions, in a way, were instrumental in ensuring the successful 2024 elections.
