Co-operative societies’ polls from today

Following the relief provided by the Madras High Court to conduct elections for co-operative societies across the state and to declare the results, the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission for Co-operative Societies was quick to announce the dates for conducting elections for posts that are lying vacant since March, this year. 

According to the statement, the election for the post of president and vice-president for grade-II societies would be conducted on Monday. 

For the post of executive members of the grade-III and grade-IV co-operative societies the election would be conducted on Tuesday.

The election for the post of president and vice president of grade-III and grade-IV co-operative societies would be conducted on August 11. 

However, it announced that the votes would be counted and results be announced on the same day of the elections. 

If the total number of candidates filing nominations for the posts of executive members of grade-III and grade-IV is either equal to the total number of vacancies or is less than the vacancies, all the candidates who apply for will be declared winners. 

Earlier, after the end of the five-year tenure of the co-operative societies, in the state, the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission for Co-operative Societies decided to conduct elections for all the vacant 18,775 positions in five phases. 

Initially, the election was planned for 18,465 vacancies in four phases, from March 12 to May 7. Violence too erupted during the process initially. 

However, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court ordered status quo on the elections and when the Apex Court was approached, the Supreme Court had granted interim stay for the order of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. 

Recently, the Madras High Court had directed the Election Commission to conduct the elections for the co-operative societies and to declare the results.