HC reserves order on pleas over TN civic polls

The Madras High Court today reserved orders on an appeal by the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission against the order of a single judge directing it to conduct local body elections before December 31, 2016 and connected petitions.
The First bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar reserved the orders after going through a report submitted in sealed cover by the SEC complying with the court's July 26 directive.
The bench had directed the SEC to inform it by today the possible timeframe for the conduct of the polls, slated to be held last October but cancelled by the single judge on a petition by DMK seeking among others appropriate reservation as per latest census and rotation of seats according to the norms.

Justice N Kirubakaran had on October 4 last year quashed the poll notification issued by the SEC and issued nine directions.
He had ordered the SEC to issue a fresh notification for holding local body elections and complete the poll process before December 31.
During the previous hearings, senior counsel B Kumar for the SEC had submitted that it was not possible to implement certain directions of the single judge such as scanning and uploading in its website affidavits of the candidates.
He had pointed out that there would be 4.90 lakh candidates and each affidavit would be 6-10 pages.

Among other petitioners, NGO Change India has challenged the constitutional validity of extension of the tenure of special officers, appointed to administer the local bodies after their term ended last year.