HC notice to EC on church seeking change in TN poll date

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The EC Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that it has rejected a plea by the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council seeking re-scheduling of the April 18 Lok Sabha elections and assembly bypolls in the state as the date clashed with Easter Triduum.

The submission was made by the Election Commission (EC) counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan when a petition by council president and Madurai Archbishop Antony Pappusamy seeking a direction to the commission to change the poll date came up for hearing.

The counsel said even the news about the EC rejecting the representation had come in the media.

The division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad then directed Rajagopalan to file an affidavit in this regard by Thursday and posted the matter for hearing on that day.

The archbishop in his public interest litigation petition said that the council had already submitted a memorandum to the EC on the issue and there was no response from it.

He submitted that there were around 50 lakh Christians in the state and for them the Holy Week starts with the Palm Sunday on April 14 and culminates with Easter Sunday on April 21.

The election date coincided with Maundy Thursday, when the Last Supper takes place on the eve of crucifixion and death of Jesus on Good Friday, he said.

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter were called Holy Triduum (holy three days), he said, adding thousands of faithful will visit churches and prayers would continue throughout the night on these days.

Hence, it may affect the turnout of voters, the petitioner said.

He also submitted the Catholic Church was running around 2,800 schools in the state and most of them were used by the government as polling stations for any election.

If the polling booths were located in the schools, it would restrict movement of people in the preceding days of polling.