Dehradun, May 2 -- The Uttarakhand high court has directed the district judge, Dehradun, to decide an election petition filed by a Dehradun resident within six months. The direction was issued by a single bench of Rakesh Thapliyal. The order was issued on April 22, but its copy was made available on Friday. The petitioner, Ashish Khatri, had moved the high court seeking the expeditious disposal of a year-long pending petition challenging the election of a sitting member of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation. The writ petition, filed under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, highlighted delays in the hearing of the petition, related to Ward No. 98 (Balawala) in Dehradun. Abhijay Negi, counsel for the petitioner, said that Ashish Khatri, who contested the municipal elections held on January 23, 2025, has challenged the victory of Prashant Kharola. According to the petition, Khatri secured 2,811 votes and lost by a narrow margin of 26 votes to Kharola. The petition alleges corrupt electoral practices and concealment of material information regarding criminal antecedents. It claims that Kharola's nomination form bore a notary attestation dated December 28, 2024, even though the document was signed and submitted on December 29. The petitioner has further alleged that Kharola failed to disclose multiple pending and decided criminal cases in his nomination affidavit. The petition also referred to a revision petition filed in 2026 involving alleged fraudulent property transfers. Negi said he argued before the court that despite Election Petition No. 01 of 2025 being filed in February 2025, the proceedings before the District Judge, Dehradun, have remained at preliminary stages. He said the case was repeatedly adjourned due to reasons including the non-availability of the presiding officer, strikes and abstentions by the bar association, and procedural delays in the service of notices. The petitioner argued that such delays undermine the democratic process, as the respondent continues to hold public office while the election result remains under challenge. Referring to an earlier ruling in the case of Deeksha Negi v. State of Uttarakhand related to panchayat elections, the petitioner sought similar directions for expeditious disposal of the election dispute involving the urban local body. Negi said after hearing the matter the high court has directed the District Judge, Dehradun, to decide the election petition within six months....