The State Election Commission on Monday made it clear that the election to the three-tier local administration bodies in Kerala would be held only in November and not in October, the month in which it should be held as per normal schedule. The exact date will be announced later. The election had to be delayed this time due to non-completion of the delimitation process in certain newly-created local bodies.
"I can't give an exact date at this stage. We will hold the election at the earliest possible date in November. An exact date could be given only after starting the restructuring of the wards of the block panchayats and district panchayats in connection with the formation of 28 new municipalities and one corporation," said State Election Commissioner K Sasidharan Nair.
Talking to newsmen after an all-party meeting on the matter in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, the State poll panel chief said that there was no plan to hold the election in two phases. "The election will be held in a single phase but on two days. New governing councils in all civic bodies will come into being before or by December 1," he said.
The Congress-led UDF Government had approached the High Court seeking permission to delay the election by a month so that the delimitation process in the newly-formed 28 municipalities and one corporation could be completed. However, the court ordered that it was up to the Election Commission to take all decisions concerning polls.
Prior to that the Government had suffered a setback in the High Court in connection with the formation of new village panchayats when a single-judge Bench on August 10 nullified the creation of 69 new Grama Panchayats citing violation of provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act in the inclusion
of same Revenue villages in different local bodies.
It was alleged that a situation where the election had to be delayed was created due to the persistence of the Muslim league, second biggest constituent of the ruling UDF, in its demand for election on the basis of the creation of the new local bodies. Muslim league Ministers are holding all the portfolios related to local administration in Kerala.
The State poll panel chief said on Monday that the draft voters' list for the civic election had already been prepared. As per the draft list, there are 2.49 crore voters in the State and 50.04 lakh are new voters. As many as 725 NRIs had registered till Monday. The list would be formally published within two days, Sasidharan Nair said.
The State Government welcomed the EC's announcement. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the Government would extend all possible assistance to the commission to ensure smooth conduct of the election.
"The Government has no difference
of opinion with the commission," Chandy said.
The CPI(M), which wanted the election to be held in October itself, responded to the Election Commission's announcement by saying that the panel had surrendered to the foul strategies of the UDF Government to delay the polls. "We will initiate legal proceedings if uncertainty over the election continues to prevail," said State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
The local bodies election, seen as the semi-finals for the Assembly election to be held in April, 2016, is crucial to both the leading fronts, the UDF and the CPI(M)-led lDF. It is also important for the BJP, especially in the context of brilliant performance of its candidate in the June 27 Assembly by-election in Aruvikkara.