‘Submit civic polls plan by July 26’

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom a batch of writ petitions pertaining to local body elections came up on Friday, directed the counsel for the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to come up with a possible poll schedule on July 26, when the issue will be taken up for further hearing. 

The directions had come after the bench was told that none of the cases either in the Supreme Court or the High Court posed an impediment in the elections being held.

Earlier, when arguments prevailed, the TNSEC’S counsel B Kumar told the bench that it would be difficult to complete the election process by August 31 as the implementation of as many as nine guidelines imposed by the single judge, was not possible. He said most of the conditions remained impractical and can’t be implemented in such a short duration. The counsel insisted that the conditions ought to be modified and it is for the bench to decide on the direction as to which of these conditions have to be implemented and which need not be to enable them take forward the process.

Senior Counsel P Wilson, appearing on behalf of the DMK, pointed out that the state has resorted to using the ongoing litigations as a shield in not holding the civic elections. He said besides the single judge, who had directed the completion of the process by December 31, 2016, a division bench of the HC had directed holding the elections by June. Even the SC while dealing with a plea pertaining to delimitation had observed that the litigation in question cannot be a bar.