The result of the Nainital District Panchayat presidential election has been withheld following the intervention of the High Court, after allegations surfaced that five Congress-supported Zila Panchayat members were abducted on the day of voting.

District Election Officer Vandana Singh confirmed that vote counting was carried out late Thursday night under tight supervision and in the presence of representatives from both contesting sides. “After the incident in which five Congress-backed Zila Panchayat members were kidnapped during the election process, the matter reached the High Court, which issued specific guidelines. Counting was completed as per these directions, and the result has been kept in a sealed envelope,” Singh said.

She added that a comprehensive report has been forwarded to the Election Commission. The sealed outcome will now be presented before the High Court, which will decide whether the missing members should be allowed to vote before the final result is declared.

The election itself has been mired in controversy for weeks, prompting judicial monitoring. The High Court had earlier ordered that the process be conducted with strict transparency to avoid manipulation.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated further after violence erupted during the Betalghat block elections. A firing incident left the area on edge, and police have since arrested four individuals in connection with the attack. District police officials submitted a preliminary report detailing the deployment of security teams and measures taken to restore calm.