In Brief
In a 2022 Odisha panchayat election, Basanti Sahoo won the Chairman post with Ramadebi Rautray as the only other contestant. Rautray challenged the election, proving Sahoo had three children after the statutory cut-off date, disqualifying her under the "two-child rule." Sahoo offered no defense. The Election Tribunal disqualified Sahoo and declared Rautray elected. Higher courts reversed this, ordering a fresh election to allow other members to contest. The Supreme Court restored the Tribunal's decision, holding that when only two candidates contest, the disqualified winner's runner-up should be declared elected rather than holding a fresh poll after three years of litigation, which would be unjust.
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