PIL seeks stay on Guj local polls; HC issues notice to SEC

The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the State Election Commission (SEC) over a PIL seeking a stay on upcoming local body polls in the state citing the poll watchdog's alleged mismanagement.
Justice A G Uraizee, while hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by 'Gujarat Nagrik Sangathan' today, issued the notice to the SEC asking it to file its reply on the issue. Further hearing in the case has been fixed for November 24.
The PIL claimed that voters are in the dark about the background of the candidates as the affidavits filed with the nominations that give information about their income, education, criminal record (if any), etc, have not been uploaded on the SEC website yet.

Voting for six municipal corporations-- Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar-- will take place on November 22, while that for 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka panchayats and 56 municipalities will take place on November 29.
The PIL further claimed this time, political parties have refrained from issuing their poll manifesto which, it says, is an "integral part" of the election process.
Accusing the SEC of indulging in mismanagement, the petitioner claimed that though the elections are approaching, people have yet to be given voters' slips, as a result of which they were clueless about whom to go to cast their votes.