DMK may move High Court next week for civic polls

Already, the order extending the tenure of the civic officers has triggered unrest among the political opposition. While PMK founder S Ramadoss has urged the ruling AIADMK to conduct the polls before March 2017, principal opposition party DMK has contemplated another petition in the Madras High Court to get the government to hold the civic elections at the earliest. 

DTNext has learnt that the DMK has considered moving a petition next week seeking to hold the elections soon.  However, AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswati blamed rival DMK for the delay and said the case has not reached finality and the elections could be conducted only after the High Court disposes the matter. 

“They (DMK) were the ones who had moved the petition first and delayed the elections. The court first set December 31 and subsequently extended the deadline to conduct the local body elections. How can we hold the elections when the court is seized off the matter?” she wondered. 

However, DMK leaders privy to the case said the ruling AIADMK was hesitant to face the people now. Though it was rumoured that the AIADMK might use the civic polls to deflect criticism aimed at their new general secretary Sasikala, it is obvious that their immediate priority was increasing Sasikala’s likability, especially among the disgruntled cadre who have yet to recover from their Amma’s demise.