Oppn cries foul at truncated election schedule for Tamil Nadu civic bodies
This is the first time that Tamil Nadu is witnessing a truncated election schedule for the civic bodies for which elections are being held after three years after directions from the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court.
The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday announced the schedule for a two-phase staggered polls for village panchayats, leaving out Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats, inviting the wrath of the opposition which cried foul over the process.
This is the first time that the state is witnessing a truncated election schedule for the civic bodies. The elections to the local bodies are being held after three years after directions from the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court. The SEC had given an undertaking that it would announce the poll schedule by the second week of December.
“The elections to village panchayats would be held in two phases on December 27 and 30 with nominations commencing on December 6,” State Election Commissioner R Palaniswamy told the media.
“Due to administrative reasons, the election schedule for the urban bodies would be announced later but definitely,” he added.
Ballot papers would be used in this two-phase elections instead of electronic voting machines, he said.
This elections would fill up a total of 1,18,974 posts from ward members to president onwards, in rural local bodies.
Opposition parties have criticised the truncated polls and expressed apprehension as to whether the ruling AIADMK is indeed interested in holding the elections or is engaged in mere kite flying.
“It is funny that the SEC had announced the schedule only for village panchayats. This gives rise to the doubt as to whether Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is the SEC or R Palaniswamy. The ruling AIADMK which is mortal fear of a washout in the elections has come out with a truncated schedule in the expectation that someone would move the courts and stall them. This announcement is only to hoodwink and circumvent the Supreme Court which had directed the SEC to hold the elections with a deadline,” opposition DMK president MK Stalin told reporters in Puducherry.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, an ally of the DMK, termed the SEC announcement as mischievous and an attempt to cheat the people of the state. He questioned the rationale behind holding the elections only for the village panchayats, leaving out the urban bodies.
The Left parties too joined the DMK in condemning the SEC for playing into the hands of the AIADMK government. The CPI and CPI (M) have come down heavily on the SEC and the AIADMK government, accusing it of trying to evade the responsibility of holding the civic elections.
Even the BJP which allied with the AIADMK in the general election is not amused at the staggered elections. Party state treasurer SR Sekhar said that this process is flawed. The party had earlier opposed the indirect elections to the post of panchayat president and chairmen of municipalities and mayors of corporations.
Republican Party of India (RPI) leader SK Tamilarasan also opposed the holding of the elections without proper representation for Dalits.
“There is no clarity on reservation for Dalits in the civic bodies. The government hurrying up the polls would deny the Dalits and women their legitimate share and representation in the local bodies. We will approach the High Court over this,” he told the media.
The DMK had already moved a petition in the Supreme Court last week seeking to direct the SEC to complete the process of reservation and delimitation in a transparent way prior to the poll schedule is announced. It is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday.
