CHENNAI: Filing of nominations for rural local bodies in 27 districts got underway on Monday while the DMK and its allies - Congress, CPI and MDMK - moved the Supreme Court challenging the fresh notification issued by the State Election Commission saying that the commission had failed to follow the norms for reservation. The petitions will come up for hearing on December 11, following which the fate of the election process set in motion by the SEC will be known.
Meanwhile, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has filed a petition before the Madras High Court, challenging the Ordinance which provides for conducting indirect elections to heads of urban local bodies such as municipal corporations, town panchayats and municipalities. The petition is likely to come up for hearing within a day or two.
As of now, as per the notification issued on Monday, 27 districts which are going to polls on December 27 and 30 are: Ariyalur, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Kanniyakumari, Namakkal, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, Theni, Tiruvallur, Tiruvarur, Thoothukudi, Tiruchy, Tirupur, Tiruvannamalai, The Nilgiris, an d Virudhunagar. Meanwhile, the State government issued a gazette notification for polls to rural local bodies. The districts where polls have been deferred are Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi.
Local body polls: Over 3K nominations received on Monday
Since there are no rural local bodies in Chennai, there won't be polls here for now. In the first phase on December 27, elections will be held for the posts of 2,546 panchayat union ward members, 4,700 village panchayat chairpersons, 37,830 village panchayat ward members and 260 district panchayat ward members which come under 156 panchayat unions.
In the second phase on December 30, elections will be held for the posts of 2,544 panchayat union ward members, 255 district panchayat ward members, 4,924 village panchayat chairpersons and 38,916 village panchayat ward members under 158 panchayat unions. On first day for filing nominations for rural local bodies in 27 districts, less number of nominations (3,217) were received.
VCK moves HC
challenging law VCK has moved the Madras High Court challenging the Ordinance which provides
for conducting indirect elections to heads of urban local bodies.