Civic polls: TNSEC holds delimitation meeting with Collectors of 9 dists

In the backdrop of top government officials hinting about the possibility of civic polls by April, all the collectors have been instructed to step up the poll works for urban local bodies.

In the past two months, TNSEC commissioner R Palaniswamy had conducted three meetings with the revenue and the district administrative officials to discuss about the poll arrangements, official sources said. The commissioner, who had urged the district collectors last month to identify the polling booths and keep the structures ready, reviewed the progress made by district election officials.

The second phase of civic polls is likely by April end and the officials have been asked to check with the school education department on the board exam schedule. Supply of drinking water is another area, where the officials are instructed to take necessary repair works ahead of the civic polls, an informed officer said.

A press release from TNSEC said that commissioner Palaniswamy who conducted a review meeting through video conferencing gave instructions insisting the collectors to get the draft photo electoral rolls revised and dispatch them to all urban and local local bodies where civic polls are due. The commissioner also urged the revenue authorities to verify the expenditure of candidates who contested in the first phase of civic polls held recently.

It may be noted that the mayor seats in Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Dindigul, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli and Tiruchy are now reserved for general women category. Of the fifteen municipal corporations, eight will have women mayors leaving seven seats for men. On December 27 and 30, polls to rural local bodies were held in 27 districts, covering 76,746 wards of 9,624 village panchayats. However, more than 60 per cent of the civic posts are yet to be filled, including the post of Chennai mayor that remains vacant since October 2016.

As per the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission results polls were conducted in two phases for 27 districts.

The opposition DMK with 38.47 per cent votes won 12 district councils and the ruling AIADMK with just 32.06 per cent retained 14 district councils.