Allahabad HC orders inclusion of transgender candidates in poll-related forms

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed Uttar Pradesh government and state Election Commission to provide for inclusion of third gender/transgender candidates in the documents of panchayat elections, including nomination paper. [caption id=“attachment_2450902” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. IBNLive[/caption] A division bench of chief justice DY Chandrachud and justice Shree Narain Shukla gave the order on a PIL seeking a direction for providing the column for third/transgender candidates in related documents/forms of ongoing panchayat election process in UP. According to the petitioner’s counsel SK Mishra, no column for third or transgender candidates was available in election-related forms, including nomination paper, because of which candidates of such categories were facing problem. The court, while fixing hearing of this matter next week, directed the respondents to provide a column for third gender. PTI