The Nainital District Panchayat President election has been thrown into turmoil after five Zila Panchayat members went missing under controversial circumstances. The High Court has now ordered the election results to be sealed pending further proceedings.
Shortly before the elections, the five missing members, who were reportedly aligned with the Congress, were reportedly abducted near Mall Road—just meters from the High Court. Law enforcement has searched extensively, but the members remain unaccounted for. The court has instructed the State Election Commission to retain all election-related materials and await further direction.
Adding to the political intensity, strong allegations have surfaced against former Block Chief Lakhan Singh Negi—whose wife, Pushpa Negi, is a Congress candidate for Panchayat President. Authorities have sealed his three-story hotel and a school building under construction, citing encroachment on government land. An arrest warrant without bail has also been issued against him, and the police are carrying out raids.
Lakhan Singh Negi has dismissed the actions as politically motivated, asserting that no amount of administrative pressure can silence his capabilities, as expressed in a video statement circulated on social media.
With the election now postponed pending legal and security developments, Nainital’s Panchayat contest is rapidly becoming one of the most widely watched and contentious local elections in recent memory.
