R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, DECEMBER 2
After gap of nearly over three years, the State Election Commission (SEC) has announced two phases’ elections for rural local bodies here on Monday. The dates for urban local bodies would be announced later due to administrative reasons, said the State Election Commissioner R. Palaniswamy. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Thursday a fresh plea of the DMK seeking a direction to the Election Commission to complete formalities such as delimitation of constituencies and reservation aspects before going ahead with the panchayat and local body election in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing reporters at SEC headquarters in Chennai, Palaniswamy said that due to administrative reasons, the schedule for urban local bodies would be announced in a later date definitely. A voter in the rural local bodies have to exercise their franchise in ballot papers in four colours.
He said that the model code of conduct will come into effect immediately across the state. As many as 1,18,974 ward councillors’ posts would be filled up in this election.
As per the schedule, filing of nominations for rural local bodies will commence on December 6, last date for filing nominations is on December 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on the next day i.e. December 16, last date for withdrawal of nominations is on December 18 and immediately final list of candidates would be announced, the Commissioner said.
After the two phases of polling, the counting will take place on January 2, 2020. Newly elected councillors will officially take oath office on January 6. The heads of rural local bodies will be elected through indirect polling has been scheduled on January 11, Palaniswamy said.
Total number of booths across the state would be 63,790, of these polling will take place in 31,698 booths during the first phase of polling on December 27 and polling in the remaining 32,092 booths will take place on December 30
Palaniswamy said that the total number of electorate for the rural local bodies is 3,31,36,086, including 1,67,04,868 women and 2,277 transpersons.
As many as 5.18 lakh officials are to be involved in conducting the rural local body polls.
EVM in Melpuram in Kanniyakumari
2.33 lakh ballot boxes would be used in the election except Melpuram in Kanniyakumari district, where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used on a pilot basis.
Election observers in the rank of IAS officers would be appointed for each district, the commissioner said.
SC to hear DMK plea on Dec 5
Meanwhile, petitions filed by the DMK in Supreme Court urging to order fresh delimitation of wards in newly inaugurated districts on December 5, after that only it will be clear whether the elections would be held.
Addressing reporters M K Stalin said that there is no precedence of conducting local body elections in phases and he doubted whether the SEC Commissioner is Palanisamy or Edappadi K. Palaniswami and said the petitions filed by the DMK in SC would be taken on Thursday, he said.
The Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear on Thursday a fresh plea of the DMK seeking a direction to the Election Commission to complete formalities such as delimitation of constituencies and reservation aspects before going ahead with the panchayat and local body election in Tamil Nadu.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde took note of the submissions of senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the DMK, that the plea needed to be heard urgently as the poll panel announced on Monday morning that elections to rural local bodies in Tamil Nadu will be held in two phases, on December 27 and 30.
Filing of nominations for the elections would commence on December 6, the senior lawyer said, adding that the poll process has been set in motion “without concluding the legal formalities” with regard to delimitation exercise and reservation aspects in the upcoming elections.
“List it for hearing on Thursday,” said the bench, which also comprised Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.
The plea, filed through Amit Anand Tiwari, said that the state Election Commission has not followed legal requirements, though it informed the apex court about issuing notification for the elections. “These mandatory legal processes are required to be carried out before issuance of any election notification, since the same will not only be ensuring compliance of legal mandate making the election free and fair but also benefit the voters, enable the development of amenities, facilities and status of Wards/ Divisions/Municipalities/Districts Panchayats/ Panchayat union councils and village panchayats,” the plea said.
The DMK alleged that the present Tamil Nadu government was dragging its feet for conducting polls and had not carried out delimitation activity for the newly made nine districts and claimed that in many districts even preliminary exercise of delimitation has not been carried out.
“The basic legal requirement of publishing draft delimitation proposal/order has not been carried out and in the absence of such publication, neither any objections have been invited or have been received, nor any hearing has been conducted.
“The delimitation authority has also not carried out rotation and reservation of seats, exercise subsequent to publication of draft delimitation order. Hence, state election commission has so far not carried out and completed basic legal formalities therefore, cannot be permitted to local bodies polls in a manner which would not be fair and free and would also be contrary to the mandatory legal requirements,” the plea said.
Minister Jayakumar accuses DMK of stalling polls
State Fisheries Minister Jayakumar alleged that the DMK is trying to stall the election through frivolous petitions in courts and recalled the violence unleashed by DMK during the 2006 local body elections. The Minister said that as per the court order, the government undertook delimitations on the basis of 2011 census and it was lauded by the court.
