Tamil Nadu local body polls: DMK moves contempt plea in SC against TNSEC, officials

The DMK on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against officials, including the Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner, for disobeying orders on granting quota to women and SC and ST candidates in the upcoming local body polls in the state.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in its contempt plea filed through lawyer Amit Anand Tiwari, has alleged that officials of the state election commission and the delimitation commission have not complied with the orders of the apex court passed on December 6 and 12 respectively.

The top court had ordered that "while conducting elections, the respondents (state and poll panel) shall provideproportionate reservation at all levels, in accordance with Rule 6 of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Reservation of Seats and Rotation of Reserved Seats) Rules,1995".

"It is most humbly submitted here that on December 7, the Election Commissioner proceeded to issue a fresh press release containing schedule of local body elections in the State of Tamil Nadu. It may be relevant to note here that the said notification was issued in complete disregard to the above noted directions of this court in its judgment and final order dated December 6," the contempt plea said.

The petition has made various officials including State Election Commissioner R Palanisamy and Chief Secretary K Shanmugam as parties.

"Initiate contempt proceedings against the alleged contemnors for the deliberate and willful disobedience of the order dated December 6, passed by this court...," the plea said.

The top court, on December 6, had put on hold the elections for the local bodies in nine new districts, carved out of four existing ones, in Tamil Nadu for complying with legal formalities such as delimitation and reservation in four months.

It, however, had said the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission could proceed with the elections to all panchayats at village, intermediate and district levels, in the remaining 31 revenue districts of the southern state.

It had also said that while conducting the polls, the authorities "shall provide a proportionate reservation at all levels in accordance with the rules".

Later on December 12, the apex court took note of another plea of DMK and directed the Tamil Nadu government and the state poll panel to conduct upcoming local bodies' election by relying on 2011 census instead of the 1991 census.

Opposition party DMK had sought quashing of the notification, issued by the state poll panel on December 7, for local bodies' election alleging that it did not provide quota for women and SC and ST candidates as per the 2011 census and was using 1991 census for this purpose.