‘Notification for civic polls before May 31’

The submission was made before a division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice M Sundar before whom the contempt petition based on the TNSEC’s failure to abide by the High Court order of holding the elections before November 17, 2017, came up for hearing on Thursday.

Based on this categorical submission by the counsel appearing for the TNSEC that the notification is bound to be issued before May 31, the bench on recording the same posted the case for further hearing to June 6.

The TNSEC during the earlier hearings had submitted its inability to hold the elections since the state government was yet to complete the delimitation process of the wards based on 2011 Census.

However, now with the delimitation process being completed and appropriate steps taken to complete the reservation exercise and recommend reservation of wards for scheduled castes, tribes and women, the scope of local body elections being held has turned out to be a reality.

But the DMK, which had moved the plea had been contending that the delimitation exercise was a ploy to postpone the conduct of elections and had sought the court to frame contempt charges against the authorities of the state and the commission for willfully violating court orders in holding the election.