Don’t declare rural election results till urban polls: Plea

Satta Panchayat Iyakkam (SPI), a Chennai-based citizen activist organisation, moved the court with the plea from declaring the results of the rural local body elections held in 27 districts in the State unless and until the election to urban local bodies is held as it contended that it would influence and confuse the minds of voters who are yet to go to polls.

SPI, represented by its general secretary, Senthil Arumugam, submitted that TNSEC had announced the elections to rural local bodies for 27 districts only and is yet to announce local body elections for nine districts (Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi). Besides this, elections to urban local bodies (Corporations, Municipalities, and Town Panchayats) are yet to be conducted, it contended.

Pointing out that holding election to rural local bodies separately in two parts is against the level-playing field which is mandatory in a democratic election, the plea said, “Local body election is a single entity and hence announcement of one phase of election results will definitely affect the other parts of the local bodies for which elections has to be conducted later and it will prejudice the minds of the people.”

Also noting that so far the elections to rural and urban local bodies have been conducted simultaneously in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, the plea said in rural local body elections for panchayat ward members and for panchayat president, political parties are not permitted to contest. But for panchayat union ward members and for district panchayat members, political parties are permitted to contest. Hence, if results are declared in a piecemeal approach and in instalments, the winning political party may influence the other parties and the rest in the ensuing elections for urban local bodies, it said.

Further, the plea also noted that TNSEC, in response to a representation in this regard, has held that no prejudice would be caused to the rural local body voters if results are announced as the election to urban local bodies are to be conducted soon. Hence, the intervention of the court is necessary to ensure that the healthy practice in India for Parliament, Assemblies and local bodies to announce the results of the election only after all phases are over is maintained, the plea said.