SC puts on hold local body polls in 9 new TN districts

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 6

The Supreme Court on Friday put on hold local body polls in nine new districts of Tamil Nadu and directed that legal formalities with regard to delimitation and reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women in four months.

The order came from a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde which took into account Tamil Nadu Government’s submission that it was willing to put on hold the local body polls in the nine districts for complying with the legal formalities.

“There shall be no legal impediment in holding the elections in the rest nine districts of Tamil Nadu,” said the Bench which also included Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.

The top court ordered the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to conduct the delimitation exercise and other formalities afresh and conclude them in four months.

The nine reconstituted districts, where the polls will not be held, are Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Thirupatthur, Ranipeti, Villupuram, Kallakuruchi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi.