A division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, led by Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma, has stayed a notification issued by the state government that barred Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers from contesting Gram Panchayat elections. The court's decision came after ASHA workers filed petitions challenging the notification, arguing they do not qualify as permanent or contractual government employees. The notification, issued last month, categorized ASHA workers as government employees, thus disqualifying them under Section 122(1)(g) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. The court noted that ASHA workers receive a fixed honorarium and performance-based incentives, indicating they are part-time functionaries. The next hearing is set for June 1. Additionally, Governor Kavinder Gupta approved an amendment to disqualify candidates if their son or daughter-in-law is involved in land encroachment. The state government has also declared May 26, May 28, and May 30 as gazetted holidays for the polling days.