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Supreme Court grants Tamil Nadu poll panel four months to hold local polls
On Monday, a Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, took note of the submissions that six more municipal corporations and 28 new municipalities have been added now for which it needs to complete the poll-related formalities.
The Supreme Court Monday granted the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission four more months to conduct urban local body elections.
On June 22, the court directed the state election commission to conduct the local body polls in nine new districts carved out of four existing ones in Tamil Nadu by September 15 this year.
On Monday, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, took note of the submissions that six more municipal corporations and 28 new municipalities have been added now for which it needs to complete the poll-related formalities.
“Even if the reasons are very silly, we want to give some more time,” remarked the bench, which included justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohi, while giving four months for completion of the poll process.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state poll panel, had sought time till April end of next year, but the bench asserted only four months will be given as the final extension.
During a brief hearing, the bench also expressed surprise over the consent of the PIL petitioner S Shankar, who had filed the plea for holding the local body elections in the grant of extra time to the poll panel.
“Mr (P) Wilson (senior advocate representing the petitioner), you have filed this petition for election. Now you are agreeing for the time and the adjournment,” the bench observed.
The senior lawyer replied the poll panel has to conduct elections for more than 600 urban bodies and now, six municipal corporations, 28 municipalities have been constituted and it will lead to a decrease in the number of existing 528 town panchayats in the state.
