Civic polls in 9 dists likely next month

According to informed government officials TNSEC is considering the possibilities of conducting the elections by February for nine districts where the local body polls were deferred in last December. 

The districts where polls are to be conducted, includes Kancheepuram, Vellore, Villupuram and Tirunelveli and the five districts — created recently following bifurcation and trifurcation of these districts. They are Chengalpattu (from Kancheepuram), Tirupattur and Ranipet (from Vellore), Kallakurichi (from Villupuram) and Tenkasi (from Tirunelveli). Chennai which is headless without a mayor for the past three years is all set to be without a council for few more months.

After conducting the polls in these nine districts for the rural local bodies then the focus will be on the urban local bodies comprising 15 municipal corporation and over 100 municipalities. As per the schedule more than 50 per cent of the local body posts have been be filled by January and the poll dates for the remaining rural local bodies is planned for February, sources said.

It may be noted that the DMK moved a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the notification as the election process were not followed as per the law and the recent formation of new revenue 

districts.