CHENNAI: Political parties have called upon the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (SEC) to hold the local body polls in single phase and also emphasised upon the use of electronic voting machines.
Representatives of various recognised political parties who participated in the all-party meeting on Thursday at the commission's office wanted the SEC not to hold protracted election. The SEC officials assured to issue a notification soon as they had submitted before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the State has promulgated an ordinance on utilising the electronic voting machines in the elections to the wards and heads of rural local bodies in TN.
According to DMK legal wing secretary R. Girirajan, the party favoured the conduct of civic polls in single phase so as to avoid any “irregularities. The
opposition DMK has already urged the SEC in a memorandum to hold the elections only after completing the delimitation excise in the newly carved districts.
Thursday’s meeting with political party representatives signifies that the SEC is all set for holding the elections. On Nov. 18, the SEC informed the Supreme Court that notification for local bodies elections would be issued on Dec. 2.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has accused the DMK president M. K. Stalin of creating confusion among the public and attempting to scuttle the conduct of the civic body elections, by instigating certain persons to move the court against holding polls.
“The AIADMK has never been afraid of facing the polls, from the times of party founder (late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran and Amma (J. Jayalalithaa). Even now, we are ready to face the civic polls. But the DMK is afraid of facing the elections,” he said.
