Rattled by unfavourable court orders and facing isolation in the ruling front, Muslim league, the second biggest party in Kerala’s Congress-led UDF, on Friday dropped its demand for holding Civic Polls 2015 on the basis of the delimited ward structure which the Judiciary had found to be faulty even as the High Court ordered stoppage of delimitation in Block Panchayats.
After a meeting of the party’s high power committee on Friday, senior Muslim league leader PK Kunhalikutty said a consensus was needed on the subject and this was expected to come up after the multi-level discussions to be held on Monday. He also said his party was of the view that the election should be held ‘in time’.
The Government, reportedly under pressure from the Muslim league, had so far been arguing that the election to the three-tier local bodies should be held on the basis of the new ward structure when the SEC was firm in its position that it could be held as per the 2010 ward structure only and that the new councils should be in place by November 1.
The Muslim league, which holds all portfolios relating to local administration, and the Government had suffered setbacks when a single-judge High Court bench on August 10 nullified the creation of 69 panchayats and a division bench on Thursday ordered against the appeal which challenged the first order.
The HC has upheld the authority of the Election Commission to carry out the civic poll process ensuring that new councils came into existence by November 1. The Government had on Thursday itself decided not to go for further appeal and the Muslim league, presumably understanding the situation’s gravity, has now endorsed that position.
The Muslim league had the other day turned against the Congress, which was in favour of holding the election in October itself.
and on the basis of the 2010 ward structure, saying that an impression was being created that it was solely behind the confusion regarding the civic poll schedule and that the positions it was taking were being described as communal.
The single-judge bench had nullified the formation of the new Grama panchayats saying that this was done by splitting the same Revenue Villages among more than one local body and without notifying the villages coming under them. It was alleged that this method was followed to ensure that a particular community became the dominant vote-bank in particular wards.
The High Court on Friday ordered temporary stoppage of the delimitation in Block panchayats citing the same reasons it had pointed out in the case of the Grama panchayats. Considering a batch of petitions on the matter, the court said that the division of block panchayats was being carried out without notifying the Revenue Villages coming under them.
The Muslim league on Friday reached a decision that it was up to the Government and the Election Commission to end the confusion prevailing in matters related to the election on the basis of the court order. It also decided to extend total support to the Government in this matter. Kunhalikutty claimed that there was no difference of opinion over the issue in the UDF.
Though the Government has decided not to insist on holding the civic poll on the basis of the new ward structure as far as the panchayats are concerned, it is expected to remain firm on its demand that election should be held in 28 of the 32 newly created municipalities. The court had earlier found the formation of these 28 bodies as conforming to legal requirements.
The Urban Affairs Department under Muslim league’s Minister Manjalamkuzhy Ali has sent a letter to the Election Commission citing this demand. The commission is to take a decision on this demand only after seeking legal advice.