The Punjab and Haryana high court has disposed of a bunch of writ petitions challenging the rejection of nomination papers and anomalies in voter lists for the May 26 civic polls in Punjab, asking the petitioners to approach the election tribunal instead.The bench noted that if the tribunal found any legal violations by the officials concerned during the conduct of the elections, it will have the full authority to order disciplinary action against them. (HT File)A division bench comprising justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and justice Deepak Manchanda, in an order dated May 22, asserted that all aggrieved parties must approach the election tribunal, which will have to decide disputes within six months, as mandated by the Supreme Court.In these petitions, candidates from different districts in Punjab had challenged decision of authorities to reject nomination papers of candidates seeking to contest in the upcoming elections as well as the voter lists prepared of the wards in which such elections are to be held. The petitions also levelled allegations against officials at different places.“It goes without saying that the election tribunal will remain bound by the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in case titled as ‘Sunita Rani and others vs State of Punjab and others’ to decide the election petition as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of six months from the date of its filing, subject to the cooperation of the parties,” the court said.The bench noted that if the tribunal found any legal violations by the officials concerned during the conduct of the elections, it will have the full authority to order disciplinary action against them.“(If) the election tribunal finds the culpability at part of any officer discharging the duties while conducting the elections, that such officer violated any provisions of law or acted against law, the election tribunal will be within its jurisdiction to pass an appropriate order qua initiation of disciplinary proceedings against such officer(s) so that in future no such misconduct causing prejudice to any contesting candidate ever happens again on the part of the electoral machinery,” the court said.Notably, there were petitions also challenging use of ballot boxes by the State Election Commission in place of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Those petitions were also dismissed by the high court, observing that it was too late to interfere as the election process had reached an advanced stage. The polls are to take place on May 26 and counting on May 29.7,555 candidates in frayA total of 7,555 candidates are in the fray for the May 26 civic body elections in Punjab, officials said on Saturday.In the fray are 1,801 AAP candidates, followed by 1,550 candidates of the Congress, 1,316 nominees of the BJP, 1,251 candidates of the Shiromani Akali Dal and 96 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nominees, they said.There are also 1,528 Independents contesting the local body elections.Polling for 104 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations, in Punjab will be held on May 26 using ballot papers. The votes will be counted on May 29.The eight municipal corporations going to the polls are Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot.Polling will also be held for 75 municipal councils and 21 nagar panchayats.