The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to file its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking immediate conduct of Gram Panchayat elections in Kalanaur village of Gurdaspur district, where polls have not been held for more than a decade despite constitutional mandates. The PIL, argued by advocate Sutikshan Sharma, highlighted the alleged violation of residents’ democratic rights due to the state’s failure to hold elections since July 2013. In his plea, Singh contended that the last panchayat elections in Kalanaur were conducted in 2013, and fresh polls became due in 2018 under Article 243-E of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, both of which stipulate a five-year tenure for every panchayat. However, no elections were held in the village even as statewide polls took place in 2018 and 2024, and bye-elections for vacant posts of sarpanches and panches were conducted across Punjab on July 27, 2025. He pointed out that the petitioner had submitted a detailed representation to the authorities on August 25, 2025, urging immediate polls, but no action was taken, leaving residents with no alternative remedy.