Election Commissioners for Baduga elections

Chennai: The Madras High Court has appointed a retired district judge and former IAS officer from the Bad­uga community as Election Commissioners to conduct elections to the executive committee of the Young Baduga Association in the Nilgiris, in accordance with the TN societies registration Act, on or before January 15.

Disposing of a petition from the Young Baduga Association by its secretary R. Ravikumar, Justice K.K. Sasidharan appointed Sundaradevan, IAS (re­tired), and B. Kali, district judge (retired), as election commissioners, and said they could approach the superintendent of police and RDO, Udhaga­man­dalam, for assistance to conduct the election in a smooth and conducive manner.

According to the petitioner, the association was formed for the purpose of promoting all round development of members of the Baduga community living in the Nilgiris. The last election was held in 2008. Since there was no cooperation among the members due to internal problems, elections were not held thereafter.

When two meetings were held in May 2013 to conduct elections, Nilgiris MLA Buddhichandran cla­i­ming to be the president of the association, and his henchmen, disrupted the meeting, resulting in a law and order problem.

Hence, the petitioner had filed the present petition to conduct fair elections to the executive committee of the association under the supervision of a former judge of the high court.

The MLA appeared in person on October 9 in the court and expressed his readiness to conduct the election. However, he wanted a member of the Baduga community to conduct the election.

The petitioner and MLA submitted a list of prominent members of the Ba­duga community. The list submitted by the petitioner contained the name of Sundaradevan, IAS (reti­red), and the list submitted by the MLA contained the name of B. Kali, district judge (retired). Both the petitioner and MLA were agreeable for nominating the two as election commissioners to conduct the election. Accordingly, they were appointed as election commissioners to conduct the election, the judge added.