CHENNAI: DMK organising secretary and Rajya Sabha member RS Bharathi has moved Madras High Court to quash three GOs dated September 16 of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department in respect of election to the posts of chairmen of Panchayat Union Councils, seats of wards in District Panchayats and Panchayat Union Councils and published in the gazette on September 18, 19 and 20.
The petition prayed for a direction to the government to conduct the ensuing local body elections by strictly providing adequate reservation to the Scheduled Tribes, by necessary rotation of seats in all the posts, as mandated by the Constitution.
When the matter came up before a single judge on Tuesday, petitioner's senior counsel submitted that the government had failed to provide due reservation to the Schedule Tribe community as mandated by the Constitution. Even in Chennai Corporation, of the 200 wards, not even a single seat has been allotted for ST. The process was not transparent and shrouded in secrecy at all levels. Even the election schedule was announced at 6.15 pm on Sunday, a holiday, and from the very next day nominations were received, he pointed out.
Noting that prima facie, it appeared that there was a rush in notifying the election, the judge sought the Advocate-General to provide information on the dates of notifications issued in the earlier elections including the one held in 2006 and the gap between the date of notification and the date of filing nominations.
The judge adjourned the matter till Thursday (September 29).