Uttar Pradesh civic poll curbs challenged

LUCKNOW - Two public interest lawsuits were filed Tuesday in the Allahabad High Court, challenging the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to bar civic poll candidates from using symbols allotted to political parties, officials said.

The two petitions have been filed respectively by People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Mathura-based advocate Abdul Jabbar, who is also vice-president of the district Congress committee.

In both the lawsuits, the rule has been challenged on the ground that it is unconstitutional.

The state cabinet June 18 decided that the elections to the urban civic agencies would not be fought on a party basis.