Stay on UT civic polls extended by 2 weeks

While recording the submissions by the government and the petitioners, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu said: “The interim order passed by a vacation bench that stayed election proceedings would continue for another two weeks.”

When the matter was taken for hearing, the Puducherry government and Election Commission submitted through senior counsel Vijay Narayan that there are no Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Puducherry.

The government has also requested the bench to grant time for filing more affidavits.

On recording the submissions by the Puducherry government, the court posted the matter for two weeks and insisted the stay would continue until that.

R Siva, leader of the opposition, Puducherry Legislative Assembly, had filed a petition before the HC stating that the Election Commission has not provided reservation to BCs and SCs in the civic polls.

Senior advocate P Wilson, who appeared for the DMK legislator, argued that the EC has violated Articles 243 D (1) and (6) and 243 T (1) and (6) of the Constitution as well as Section 9 (8) and 11 (8) of the Puducherry Municipalities Act, 1973, and Puducherry Village and Commune Panchayats Act, 1973.

“The civic polls notification should have given 33.5 per cent reservation for the BCs and 0.5 per cent reservation for the STs. However, the EC failed to provide reservations,” the petitioner submitted.

On October 11, 2021, a special bench comprising judges R Mahadevan and Abdul Quddhose was directed to keep in abeyance all further proceedings pursuant to the orders. The judges had also referred the matter to the first bench of the MHC and directed the respondents to file the counter affidavit.