Chennai Corporation refuses to approve list of booths

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 11. The Chennai Corporation Council, which met here today, sought to upset the local body election schedule, refusing to approve the list of polling booths chosen by the State Election Commission.

An all-party meeting convened later in the day decided to request for extension of the time frame fixed by the SEC. Party leaders said they needed time to scrutinise the list of polling booths and suggest changes. They said entire streets were not included in voter lists. Booths were in far-away areas and their suggestions were not taken into consideration while drawing up the list.

Following demands from the ruling party and a section of the Opposition, the Mayor, Mr. M. K. Stalin, referred the matter to ward committees for finalisation. ``They will discuss the issue and rationalise the whole process. Then it will be approved by the council,'' he said, even as the Opposition was agitating over remarks made by some DMK councillors. Officials later clarified that there was no provision for referring the matter to the committees. The State Election Commission had sent a schedule to the local body, directing it to get the draft list approved by the council and send it to the Commission.

Many councillors complained that they had not received details of the meeting agenda and the list of polling booths. The Mayor said he himself was yet to receive them and it was the chief executive, Mr. J. T. Acharyulu's responsibility to ensure that they reached the councillors. This was apparently not done though the meeting was convened, following an `urgent request' from the Commissioner.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr. P. Vetrivel, TMC leader, and Mr. R. Thiyagarajan (AIADMK) contended that it was the duty of the Mayor to see that the agenda reached all councillors before a council meeting was convened.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Local bodies polls before Oct. 24
Next     : No undue favours shown to Stalin, says Karunanidhi