Local bodies polls by mid-November

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Election Commission on Monday decided to hold elections to the local bodies, including the newly-created 28 municipalities and Kannur corporation, in November,  bringing to an end all speculations regarding the polls which had generated a lot of political heat in the state.

After a two-hour all-party meeting,  Mr  K. Sasidharan Nair, SEC,  told mediapersons that elections would be held in a single phase but over two days. However, he stopped short of announcing the dates  of the polls.

On the plea made by the LDF and the BJP to complete the elections before the Sabarimala Mandala season, which begins on November 17, the SEC said,  “we are giving utmost importance to the issue. Firstly, the  elections are sensitive requiring maximum security deployment across the state Secondly, the convenience of pilgrims,  who have to take part in the democratic exercise,  will also have to be taken into consideration. The commission is seized of the matter,” he said.

The commission planned to hold the polls over two days. “We have to give enough time for the movement of security forces besides putting in place all other arrangements.

The polls will be held alternately  in seven districts each,” he added. When asked whether the polls would be held on November 2, the commissioner replied in the negative and said,  “as per the procedure, the announcement of polls has  to be made one month before the date of polling and the election notification has to be issued at least 10 days before the announcement of date.  The dates will be announced only after completing all formalities and procedures. We are not in favour of two phases as the first election could influence the second. Moreover,  two phases involve huge financial commitment,” he said.

When asked whether the SEC would be able to complete the delimitation process before October 15 as advised by the government, Mr Nair said,  “we are aiming to complete the process even before that cut- off date. The new municipalities and corporation are spread over 30 blocks and 13 districts and  we are hopeful of completing the exercise well in time,” he said.

On whether extending the polls by nearly a month would result in a constitutional crisis since the governing councils have to be in office by November 1, the commissioner said that it was an exceptional situation.

Since the newly-constituted 28 municipalities and corporation had come into being, keeping them out of polls would not only be impractical but also legally untenable.

Therefore,  the polls have to be held simultaneously. To a question whether the lapse on the part of the government had resulted in the current crisis, Mr Nair said,  “I don’t have to specifically say about lapse.” THr refused to comment on the move by the Muslim League and other parties to take up the matter legally.