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2026 DAILYLAW 3866 (GUJ)

SIDDHARTH PARESHBHAI CHAUDHARI v. STATE ELECTION COMMISSION

SCA/14016/2026 · 2026-09-25

J L Odedra, N S Sanjay Gowda

body2026

Judgment text

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C/SCA/14016/2026(GJHC240739102026) ORDER DATED: 25/09/2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 14016 of 2026 ============================================= SIDDHARTH PARESHBHAI CHAUDHARI Versus STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS. ============================================= Appearance: MR. ARCHIT P JANI(7304) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1 MS. AISHVARYA, Advocate for the respondent No.1 MR. ADITYA D. DAVDA, AGP for the Respondent(s) No. 2 and 3 ============================================= CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.S.SANJAY GOWDA and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J. L. ODEDRA Date : 25/09/2026 ORAL ORDER (PER : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J. L. ODEDRA) [1] Leave to amend the cause title is granted. To be carried out forthwith. [2] The prayer in this writ petition is to direct the respondent authorities to include the name of the petitioner in the electoral roll of Ward No. 8 to enable him to participate in the ensuing elections of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation. [3] It is not in dispute that the name of the petitioner was not found in the electoral rolls of the Legislative Assembly constituency, which is the basis for the preparation of the C/SCA/14016/2026(GJHC240739102026) ORDER DATED: 25/09/2026 electoral roll of the Municipal Corporation. Since the name of the petitioner was not found in this list, he made an application for inclusion of him name on 10.09.2026. [4] It may also be pertinent to state here that the list, as it was revised and as it stood on 17.02.2026, was considered to be the basis for preparation of the preliminary list under the rules framed by the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations (Registration of Voters) Rules, 1994. This preliminary list was published on 02.09.2026 and the final list was published on 14.09.2026 as per the legislative assembly constituency list as on 10.09.2026. [5] As the name of the petitioner was not available in the Legislative Assembly constituency as on 10.09.2026, his name was also not found in the electoral roll prepared by the Municipal Corporation in accordance with the aforementioned rules. [6] It is also not in dispute that the application that the petitioner had filed for inclusion of his name in the electoral roll of the Legislative Assembly constituency on 10.09.2026 was allowed on 17.09.2026. The legal effect of this is that the name of the petitioner is deemed to be in the electoral rolls of the Legislative Assembly constituency. C/SCA/14016/2026(GJHC240739102026) ORDER DATED: 25/09/2026 [7] The argument of the State Election Commission that the name of the petitioner was only included after the publication of the final list on 14.09.2026 and the petitioner cannot seek for inclusion is untenable and is of no consequence. Basically the State Election Commission is tasked with replicating the electoral roll of the Assembly constituency. The State Election Commission does not exercise any independent right in the matter of inclusion or deletion from its electoral rolls, and it only is empowered to replicate the electoral roll of the Assembly constituency. [8] In our view, since the basis for the creation of an electoral roll for the Municipal Corporation is based on the electoral roll of the Assembly constituency, on inclusion of the name in the Assembly constituency, the petitioner becomes entitled to vote and participate in the electoral process. [9] It is to be noticed here that the application filed by him for inclusion was allowed before the last date fixed for filing of nominations. It may also be further pertinent to state here that the application was filed on 10.09.2026, i.e., prior to the period of 10 days prescribed under the rules mentioned above. In our view, therefore, the petitioner has C/SCA/14016/2026(GJHC240739102026) ORDER DATED: 25/09/2026 made out a case to have his name included in the electoral roll for Ward No.8 and as a consequence, he would also be entitled to participate in the electoral process. [10] Accordingly, the present writ petition is allowed. Direct service today is permitted. (N.S.SANJAY GOWDA, J.) (J. L. ODEDRA, J.) DHARMENDRA KUMAR Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judges. Digitally signed by: KUMAR DHARMENDRA(HC01071), GOV, at High Court of Gujarat on 25/09/2026 17:28:52