CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday permitted the Puducherry State Election Commission (SEC) to withdraw its municipal election notification. The SEC will issue a fresh notification to hold the polls by removing all anomalies in reservation of wards, within five days of cancelling the earlier one.
Following submissions made by Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan that a fresh notification to rescind the notifications pertaining to reservations will be issued by October 7, the SEC sought leave to withdraw its local body polls notification.
“Since the SEC seeks permission to issue a fresh notification in the above circumstances, such permission is granted so that the fresh notification is published within five days of the formal rescinding of the previous notification of September 22,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu said in an order while disposing of a batch of petitions.
The bench stated, “It is hoped the anomalies are now removed and the proposed notification carries no mistake so that the election can be held as expeditiously as possible.” The SEC had told the court that it is the first municipal elections that will be conducted on the basis of the 2011 Census and after the delimitation exercise that was completed in June this year.
The Union Territory also said the elections need to be conducted expeditiously as per a Supreme Court order. According to the earlier notification, polling was scheduled in three phases, on October 21, 25, and 28, and filing of nominations for phase 1 was scheduled to commence on September 30.