Chennai: The Supreme Court today declined to issue a stay order on civic polls in Tamilnadu. The apex court however said the elections should be conducted based on the 2011 census.
The verdict was delivered by a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices Surya Kant and Bhushan Ramakrishna after hearing the arguments from all sides.
Various cases filed by DMK and other parties against the holding of the civic polls in Tamilnadu were taken up for hearing today. Congress MP P Chidamabram appeared on behalf of the party.
The opposition parites aruged that the State government and State Election Commission are planning to hold the elections for the posts of Panchayat Presidents based on the 1991 census.
The State government said that DMK and the opposition are scared of the elections making them file such cases.
Only on Tuesday, the Madras High Court quashed a plea by VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, who wanted to declare as invalid the Tamilnadu government’s decision to hold indirect election to civic chief posts.
When the petition came up for hearing, the court observed that the government’s decision was not unlawful.
Filing of nominations to contest in the civic polls in rural areas, barring the recently carved out nine districts, began in 27 districts of Tamilnadu on 9 December. Candidates can file their nominations till 16 December. Those who are willing to contest in the polls have been asked to file their nomination forms to the election officials concerned from 10 am to 3 pm.
Elections will be held to fill the 91,975 rural civic bodies posts in two phases on 27 and 30 December.
State Election Commissioner R Palaniswamy recently said ballot method will be followed in Grama Panchayat elections and four types of coloured ballot papers would be used in the polls.
He also said elections would be held in a total of 49,688 polling booths and the voters would be given booth slips with their photo affixed on them.