Another plea filed in HC for transparency during civic polls

: Now, it looks like it is the turn of a candidate contesting the civic polls to approach the Madras High Court to direct the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to monitor counting of votes through CCTV cameras, and live telecast the feed in the counting centres.

The plea was filed by P Ananthan on Saturday, a day after almost all opposition parties approached the High Court with several such prayers.

Ananthan is contesting for the post of Kallipattu village panchayat president.

His plea would be taken up for hearing on December 30 by a vacation bench headed by Justice S Vaidyanathan.

The petitioner wanted the court to pass an order to ensure transparency and fairness in the counting process for the post of Kallipattu village panchayat president in Panruti taluk.

He said he had learnt from reliable sources that the local syndicate of ruling party has colluded with the election officials to declare ruling party candidate as the elected candidate.

Even the deputy collector was attacked by the ruling party cadre on December 21 for which a case has been registered against them. The situation in the entire district has become worst. Utilising this, the ruling party is trying to declare all their party candidates as elected," Ananthan alleged.

I was threatened to withdraw my nomination for the post of Kallipattu village panchayat president. The ruling partymen claimed that the winning candidate has already been decided, he further alleged.

"I have also made representation to the election commission on December 21 explaining my apprehension that the ruling party cadre might indulge in poll malpractices to ensure that their candidate is declare as elected, he said.

On Friday, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader D Parventhan and former DMK MLA A Raja were among those who filed petitions related to the local bodies election.