UP local bodies' election will go ahead: Supreme Court

New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) In a breather for the newly-elected Uttar Pradesh government, the Supreme Court Monday declined to stall the election of chairpersons of the state's local bodies that is to take place in four phases from June 20 - but with a rider.

An apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice J.S. Khehar, however, said that the announcement of the election results would depend on the outcome of a petition challenging the 63 percent reservation of the chairman's positions for scheduled castes and tribes, other backward classes and women on a rotational basis.

The court directed the matter be listed for final hearing in the second week of August.

Petitioner Rakesh Gautam has contended that keeping the chairman's post in the reserved category contravened the local bodies' statute and should be set aside.

The petitioner has challenged a June 1 Allahabad High Court verdict

holding that though the May 23 notification on the reservations was flawed, the polls would not be stayed as they had been set into motion by a May 25 notificaiton of the state Election Commission.

The four-phased polls will see the election of 740 chairpersons of local bodies, of which 63 percent are reserved for the four categories.