Notice to EC over plea seeking postponement of LS polls in Madurai

The petitioner claimed that the conduct of Lok Sabha election scheduled to be held on April 18 as notified by the Election Commission of India would cause inconvenience for voters, who would devote their time mostly at Madurai city’s annual Chithirai festival of Meenakshi Amman temple on the same day of polling.

He stated that scores of people would revel in celebrations and a large number of police personnel would be deployed to ensure safety of people during the festival. It would not be convenient for people, who will enjoy the celebration during the festival, to devote time and access polling booths to cast their votes on the occasion.

Moreover, it would also cause difficulties for the authorities concerned to set up polling booths with necessary arrangements since most of the places would be occupied by people during the festival time.

Further, the petitioner said it would put the government in a difficult position as it could not utilize the resources of police personnel fully during polling as a large posse would be deployed during the festival.

On hearing the arguments, the bench questioned the Election Commission on the feasibility of conducting the polls on the occasion of the festival, which assumes great significance. Scores of people from across Tamil Nadu would take part in the festivities, the judges said.

Further, the bench asked how could hundred per cent polling be achieved when several lakhs of people would devote their time in the Chithirai festival? Other places including Theni and Thiruvannamalai also face a similar problem, they noted.

Hence, the bench sought response from the ECI on possibilities of postponing the polling schedule in Tamil Nadu on coming Thursday and adjourned the case.

Earlier, representatives of political parties staged a walkout from meeting convened by the districtadministration in Madurai after expressing their discontent over the conduct of polls for the Madurai constituency on April 18.