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Panchayat Raj being destroyed in TN: MK Stalin

The DMK president M K Stalin said this was clear violation of the Constitutional provisions.

CHENNAI: Coming down heavily on the State Election Commission (SEC) again seeking time in the Supreme Court on Monday till October 31 to hold the Local Bodies polls in Tamil Nadu, the DMK president M K Stalin said this was clear violation of the Constitutional provisions.

In a statement here, he said Article 243-E of the Constitution was very clear that elections to rural and urban local bodies should be held before their respective term ends. While the Local Bodies elections should have been completed by October 2016 itself, the SEC periodically moving the High court and Supreme court to seek time to hold the polls amounted to destroying the Panchayati Raj institutions, he said, adding, even nearly three years later they are without elected representatives and working with special officers.

Mr Stalin charged the ruling AIADMK government in the State with 'colluding' with the SEC in this frequent time-extension game, making a mockery of the Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika laws.

Mr Stalin alleged that the ruling party was running the Local Bodies like 'private limited firms' in the absence of elected representatives and urged the Governor to seek an explanation from the SEC and issue a directive to the SEC to hold the Local Bodies polls without any further delay.

Later in the evening, Mr Stalin presided over a meeting of the DMK district secretaries wherein preparations for the August 5 Lok Sabha poll from Vellore constituency was discussed.

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