Battle lines drawn for urban civic polls as TNSEC releases final list

Tamil Nadu State Election Commission on Tuesday released the final list of 57,778 candidates who will be contesting the February 19 urban civic polls.

Official communication from the State Election headquarters (TNSEC) said that a total of 57,778 candidates will be in the fray to fill 12607 vacant posts.  TNSEC also said that a total of 14,324 candidates withdrew their nominations. A total of 74,416 nominations were taken for scrutiny and 2,062 nominations were rejected for failing to adhere to the Election Commission norms.

TNSEC had earlier issued a notification to hold polls for 12,838 vacant posts of these 218 candidates declared unopposed winners. In a new trend, the TNSEC also cancelled the election to Kadambur town panchayat in Tuticorin district. Nominations were accepted from 33 candidates to contest in 12 wards. Few nominations were rejected by poll officials after they noticed discrepancies. Local independent candidates who had better chances of emerging as unopposed winners also staged a demonstration with their supporters seeking certificates as elected creating tension.

Meanwhile, TNSEC also issued an order to the Tuticorin district Collector, who is also the district election officer, to take necessary disciplinary action against the poll officials for their failure to implement the Model Code of Conduct norms and standard operating procedures prescribed for the conduct of polls.

The Opposition AIADMK and the independent candidates have also started petitioning the TNSEC crying foul against the local poll officials alleging that they are instigated by the ruling DMK men. TNSEC had announced polling on February 19 for 21 municipal corporations, 138 municipalities and 489 town panchayats in the State.