‘Civic elections likely to get delayed’

“Civic body polls are more complicated than the Assembly election because of the mindboggling number of candidates, traditional ballot box system, a number of votes each individual has to cast and different colours of ballots involved. Preparing the updated electoral rolls after additions and deletions is still underway and we do not know when it will be complete,” reliable sources in the state election commission (SEC) said, signalling the delay in conducting of the polls.

The government had announced that voters could approach specific locations and offices for addition and deletion of names from the voters list on September 11 and 25 (both Sundays). 

“Elections to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi Assembly constituencies which were cancelled by the Central Election Commission (CEC) due to alleged distribution of money and by-election for Tirupurankundram Assembly caused by the death of the sitting AIADMK MLA S M Seenivel are likely to be held only after the local body polls,” sources added. 

Sources said that the CEC wanted to know when local body polls would be held, which means it was mulling on re-election in the pending Assembly constituencies after the civic polls.” Though there is a possibility of preparing the revised electoral rolls with changes proposed on September 11, sources are of the view that the government would want to include as many fresh voters as possible to turn the tide in favour. 

Though the law gives the state government a grace period of six months from October 24 to conduct local body elections, a senior SEC official confided, “The government could announce elections and call for nominations from any time after September 25, after receiving the requests for changes in the electoral rolls.”