After a gap of three years, the Tamilnadu State Election Commission (SEC) today announced that the much awaited elections to rural local bodies will be held in two phases on 27 and 30 December.
Talking to reporters here, State Election Commissioner R Palaniswamy said, filing of nominations will begin on 6 December and the last date for filing of nominatons was 13 December.
The scrutiny would take place on 16 December and the last date for withdrawals was 18 December, he said.
The counting of votes would be taken up on 2 January, 2020.
The model code of conduct comes into force immediately and the poll notification will be issued on 6 December, he added.
He said ballot method will be followed in Grama Panchayat elections.
Palaniswamy said the poll dates for the urban local bodies will be announced later due to administrative reasons.
It may be noted that the main Opposition DMK had moved the Supreme Court asking the government to carry out a delimitation exercise in view of wards in newly-created districts of Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Chengalpet.
The ruling AIADMK had recently notified in the government gazette that indirect elections would be held to elect Mayors in Corporations and Chairpersons of Municipalities and Panchayats.
The local body polls were earlier scheduled to be held in October 2016, but was stayed by the Supreme Court after the DMK filed a plea to postpone it till reservation and delimitation of wards were completed.
The local body polls are likely to witness a multi-cornered contest with the AIADMK, DMK, AMMK led by TTV Dhinakaran and Makkal Needhi Maiam of actor-politician Kamal Haasan in the fray.
While the AIADMK-led front included the BJP, PMK, TMC, DMDK and NJP, the DMK-led front comprised of Congress, the two left parties CPI and CPI(M), VCK, MDMK, IUML and IJK.
| SC to hear DMK’s plea 5 December |
| The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Thursday a fresh plea of the DMK seeking a direction to the Election Commission to complete formalities such as delimitation of constituencies and reservation aspects before going ahead with the panchayat and local body election in Tamilnadu.A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the submissions of senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the DMK, that the plea needed to be heard urgently as the poll panel has announced today morning that elections to rural local bodies in Tamilnadu will be held in two phases, on 27 and 30 December. |