NEW DELHI: The pendulum for local body polls in Tamil Nadu appeared to swing further away from early scheduling on Wednesday after the State Election Commission (SEC) told the Supreme Court that it would take at least six months for wrapping up the delimitation of constituencies based on the 2011 census.
It was the DMK that had sought appropriate reservation as per the latest census. That demand came handy for the SEC to justify the delay in holding the elections.
Accepting the DMK’s plea, the Madras High Court had last year scrapped the civic polls that were due to be held on October 17 and 19.
On Wednesday, during a brief hearing in the Supreme Court, Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar appeared on behalf of the Tamil Nadu SEC and spelt out the delimitation of time frame.
A bench headed by Justice Jasti Chelameswar posted the case for final hearing on September 6. “The confusion in conducting the civic polls in Tamil Nadu shows the political crisis in the State,” the bench remarked.
However, the bench refused to let the DMK withdraw it plea demanding delimitation of constituencies based on 2011 census before the civic polls.
In the Madras High Court, the SEC had recently said it required 50 days from the date of issuing the notification to conducting the polls, assuming there was no impediment like delimitation.
Another division bench had, in February, directed the SEC to finish the civic polls no later than May 14. But citing practical difficulties, the commission had then sought more time.