Chennai

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) legal wing joint secretary RM Babu Murugavel has approached Madras High Court seeking direction to the State Election Commission (SEC) to appoint government officers from rural areas to engage in the upcoming urban local body polls due on February 19. In his affidavit, Murugavel sought a direction from the HC to appoint election officers from different jurisdictions more particularly from rural areas so as to ensure fairness in the conduct of the elections. “It is pertinent to note that as the rural local body election is completed in various phases and the said government officers, staff and personnel, who have already voted in the year of 2018 and 2021, can be engaged, which would not only pave way for avoiding the aftermaths and the consequences which happen due to postal ballots but will also pave way for the government personnel and those who are in that particular jurisdiction to exercise their right of voting in a free and fair manner, ” the petitioner added.