The Kerala High Court has issued an important interim order directing that the upcoming elections to the All India Punjab National Bank Officers’ Association (AIPNBOA) must be conducted in a fair, transparent, and unbiased manner.
The order was passed by Justice Gopinath P. while hearing a writ petition filed by two members of the association, Jinu G. from Kottayam and Vipin M.G. from Ernakulam.
The elections are scheduled to be held on 23 November 2025. This time, Shri Sreekumar and Shri Dilip Saha are contesting for the post of General Secretary.
What is the issue? Why matter reached Court?
The petition was filed to ensure fairness in upcoming AIPNBOA Elections 2025-28. The petitioners requested the Court to appoint an observer—preferably an advocate or any neutral person—to oversee the election activities.
After the voting, AIPNBOA is planning to move ballot boxes from the polling venue to a different counting location. Officers fear that this might lead to vote tampering. So officers have requested Returning Officer Shri Asok Kumar De, that the counting of votes should be held at the same place where polling is conducted.
According to Election Circular No. 05/2025 issued on 13 November, polling will take place at the Science City Main Auditorium in Kolkata, while the counting is scheduled at The Spring Club, located near the Maa Flyover and Marriott Hotel.
The officers stated that moving the ballot boxes outside the polling venue creates “vulnerability to suspicion.” They have requested that the counting of votes be conducted at the same location where voting took place, and that the ballot boxes should not be moved from the polling site.
What Court said?
After considering the petition and hearing the arguments of the petitioners’ lawyers, the Court ordered the Deputy Registrar of Trade Unions to ensure that the AIPNBOA elections are conducted fairly and transparently. The Court also said that an independent observer may be appointed to monitor the election process.
Court Order PDF
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