Civic poll notification will be issued after delimitation: TN Election Commission
Chennai: The State Election Commission has informed the Madras high court that it can issue election schedule notification within three months from the day the state government accepts the delimitation proposal likely to be made by the Delimitation Committee by August 31.
Senior advocate A.L. Somyaji, appearing for the State Election Commission, submitted an affidavit containing a schedule of election before the first bench headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee on Monday.
The State Election Commission in the report stated that the government has to issue notification containing newly delimited wards of rural and urban local bodies. The Delimitation Committee likely to complete the delimitation process by August 31 and submit its recommendation.
A period of three months is required for preparation of ward wise electoral rolls of local bodies based on newly delimited wards in all 12524 village panchayats, 388 panchayat unions, 31 district panchayats, 528 town panchayats, 124 municipalities and 12 corporations. Three months are required for completion of other pre-poll related works including establishment of polling stations, EVMs, indelible inks, ballot boxes and other materials.
The delimiting process was taken up in more than 1,19,279 wards comprising 99,324 wards of village panchayats, 6,472 wards of panchayat unions and 655 wards of district panchayats for rural local bodies and 8288 wards of town panchayats, 3,613 wards of municipalities and 919 wards of corporation. And the process is nearing completion.
After notification by the government, the Delimitation Commission would send recommendation of proposal for reservation for SC/ST women in the local body poll. After submitting the schedule A.L. Somyaji, has prayed for closing of the contempt petition.
However, P. Wilson, senior counsel appeared for the DMK, has submitted that the schedule is in violation of the order of the court and the court should send the commissioner to prison.
R.S. Bharathi of DMK MP, in the contempt petition, sought action against the State Election Commissioner Malik Feroz Khan and Rajasekhar, secretary, Tamil Nadu State Election Commissionm for not obeying the order of the First Bench directing them to conduct the local body elections by November 17, 2017. On September 4, 2017 the First Bench had directed the SEC to issue the notification for the polls on September 18 and complete the entire process by November 17, 2017.
On July 31, taking serious view of inordinate delay in holding local body poll despite court order, the Madras high court had warned State Election Commissioner of facing contempt proceeding if the SEC do not furnish the poll schedule by August 6. Stating that the Election Commission should be declared as guilty of contempt, the special Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, had asked the SEC that do you think that it is up to you to decide at what extent court orders can be implemented. Since the Chief Justice is being elevated to apex court, the Bench has directed the matter to be posted before another bench on Tuesday.
