State may take a call on local body elections after by-poll verdict

State Election Commission sources revealed that implementing the High Court order on local body elections was impossible given the fact that a minimum of 90 days (3 months) was necessary to get the process moving. 

“Updating the electoral rolls and ensuring enough staff for conduct the democratic exercise will require more time. Though public examinations are over, schools are still conducting their annual exams for other classes. Further, the teachers, who will be deputed for election work and schools will not be available within the time frame set by the High Court,” the sources added. 

Moreover, the post of State Election Commissioner has become vacant following the retirement and completion of the tenure of P Seetharaman, who was nominated on March 23, 2015. SEC officials, when asked about his successor, had no clue and expressed the view that “a new commissioner might be appointed later as at present all officials and ministers were busy in the RK Nagar by-election.” SEC secretary TS Rajasekhar, the senior most official, has been made in-charge for the time-being. 

Conducing civic elections would be a monumental exercise as the state follows the three-tier Panchayat Raj system. Hence, elections should be held for 12 corporations including Chennai, 123 municipalities, 529 town panchayats, 385 panchayat unions and 12,524 village panchayats. At panchayat-level each citizen should cast four votes each to exercise their franchise for the village panchayat president, village panchayat ward councillor, panchayat union ward councillor and district panchayat member.