The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a go-ahead to the Karnataka's State Election Commission to conduct the polls of local bodies but restrained it from declaring the results till the petition challenging reservation was decided by a single judge of the High Court.
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna asked the High Court, including the single judge, to dispose of the petition expeditiously preferably within one month from today, "keeping in mind that the subject matter is in respect of elections pertaining to municipal councils".
The top court declined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court's order of October 21, rejecting a plea to stay the polls.
"In our opinion, equities can be adjusted by reiterating the observation of the division bench in to the effect that the outcome of the elections shall be subject to the result of the writ petitions," the bench said.
"However, the elections programme may proceed until the stage of counting. But the final results of the subject elections shall not be declared until the pronouncement of the final judgment by the learned single judge of the High Court," the bench added.
The court passed its order on urgent mentioning made by counsel on behalf of R Dinesh Babu. The HC was considering challenge to the polls on various grounds including on reservation of seats of chairman and vice-chairman.
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