PUDUCHERRY: As a preparatory measure for the conduct of Local body polls in the UT, the wards for Backward Classes (BCs) were allotted by a draw of lots in the presence of State Election Commissioner Roy P Thomas on Friday, amidst walkout by the AINRC and BJP.
Eleven of the 33 wards of the Puducherry Municipality, 14 of the 42 wards of Oulgaret municipality and six of the 17 wards in Karaikal Municipality were allotted to the BCs by draw of lots. Those for Mahe and Yanan were also drawn up in the evening.
The SEC had already delimited the wards, released ward-wise voters list, allocated wards to scheduled castes, scheduled caste women, and women.
BJP MLA A John Kumar along with AINRC General Secretary NSJ Jayabal after walking out of the meeting for a draw of lots for BC seat allotment said that they wanted the local body elections to be postponed in view of the threat of the third wave of COVID-19.