Chennai: Welcoming the Madras high court verdict to conduct the local body elections before November 17, Opposition leaders in the state on Monday asked the state government to comply with the judgment instead of seeking ways to delay the polls.
TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar said the state government was postponing the elections due to fear of losing them. At a time when the state government is inactive, at least elected leaders in the local bodies would fulfill the needs of people. The state government should not try to postpone the elections and accept the Madras high court order.
Reacting to the verdict PMK founder S. Ramadoss asked the state government not to go on an appeal against the high court verdict and release the details of reservation of local body wards, since the court had ordered that the notification should be released before September 17.
He said the officials appointed by the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission would support the state government and added that paramilitary forces should be deployed for protection.
The court had fixed a date for election notification to give time for all the parties to prepare for the elections unlike last time when the government suddenly issued the notification giving no time for the opposition parties.
Welcoming the judgment, CPI leader R. Mutharasan said local bodies ensure that democratic powers reach the lower sections of people. But, the AIADMK government, hesitant to face the polls, was postponing it for the last one year. Hailing the judgment as a proper one, he asked the state government to make all the arrangements for the civic polls.
