PUDUCHERRY: Legislators of ruling and opposition parties in Puducherry led by the Speaker of the territorial Assembly R Selvam on Saturday called on the Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention to direct the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct the local body polls by providing reservation to Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes. They also sought the adoption of rotational principles in granting reservation, in accordance with the provisions of Puducherry Municipalities and Commune Panchayat act and following the delimitation of wards done on the basis of the 2011 census.
At a meeting of all ruling and opposition MLAs and independents in the Legislative Assembly complex, chaired by the Speaker on Saturday, the legislators observed that the fresh announcement of the local body elections and notification on reservation of seats was a violation of the guidelines of the High Court and Supreme Court and provisions of Municipalities and Commune Panchayat Act.
According to a release from the Speaker, the Leader of Opposition R Siva, ministers and MLAs noted that the High Court did not order that the reservation right of Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes be revoked for conducting the elections.
The reservation right for Backward Classes and tribals was removed by the government to correct anomalies, but the SEC has made the election announcement in a hurry without consulting the government and issued a notification on polls without BC and ST reservation, said Selvam. Further the SEC has not adhered to the rotation principles in reservation as provided in the Municipalities and Commune Panchayat Act.
A resolution was adopted demanding that elections should not be conducted without providing reservation to Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes as per the Puducherry Municipality and Commune Panchayat Act and without following the delimitation of the wards done on the basis of the 2011 census and without adopting rotational principles in reservation. The legislators felt that the election announcement without providing reservation for BCs and STs is against the law and this action of the SEC went against social justice which must be stopped forthwith.
The SEC has also not considered major festivals like Diwali, All Souls Day, Liberation Day and the rainy season while announcing the local body elections, which is against the usual practice, said MLAs.
If the SEC went ahead without removing the anomalies, political parties would be forced to boycott the polls, they said. The meeting wanted the election to be conducted after removing all anomalies.
All ministers and legislators participated in the meeting.