CHENNAI: The coronavirus is taking on all comers and winning hands down, till now. The latest in the long line of victims is the urban local body elections. Since elections could not be held, the State government has promulgated two ordinances to extend the term of the special officers for municipal corporations, town panchayats, district panchayats, panchayat unions and village panchayats in the reconstituted districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet, Vilupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi for six more months — till December 31. Their present term ended on June 30.
An official release said following directions of the Supreme Court dated December 6 and 11, 2019, delimitation of territorial wards of the above local bodies in the nine newly re-constituted districts are under active process.
Further, for conducting elections to urban local bodies, the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission has initiated preparation of electoral rolls, identification of polling stations, training for handling EVMs and development of software for randomisation of polling official and EVMs.
Due to coronavirus, lockdown has been declared and the government machinery is engaged in Covid-related works. Hence, the Commission is not in a position to conduct local body elections, the release added.