The Hindu : SEC ready for polls in Oct. to fill up vacancies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

SEC ready for polls in Oct. to fill up vacancies

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI June 17. A total of 121 posts in urban local bodies and 21 in rural local bodies are lying vacant and the State Election Commission is ready to conduct polls by October for filling the vacancies.

The State Election Commissioner, V. Palanichamy, told mediapersons here today that local bodies polls were held last in March/April 2002, including at Papapatti and Keeripatti in Madurai district. The next round of elections could be held in October and the SEC was prepared for the exercise.

When newspersons pointed to alleged instances of malpractices in the last Mayoral elections, he said the SEC had received no report showing any trouble inside booths. Any happening outside the booths or at counting centres was to be dealt with by the law and order machinery.

Asked about the resignation of Dalit panchayat presidents in places where the polls were held in April, Mr.Palanichamy said there was no law to prevent anyone quitting an elected post. To a question whether he felt that the episode had made a mockery of the election system, the SEC said it was not so. Originally no one filed papers at Pappapati and Keeripatti, but this time a few nominations were received and elections held. If elected heads resigned ``we will again conduct elections there...''

Mr. Palanichamy was speaking to reporters in connection with the launch of a CD ROM on the October 2001 local bodies polls. The Commissioner and the Deputy Director-General, A Mohan of the NIC, which provided technical support for creating the CD ROM, explained its features.

The CD (costing Rs.750) contains the text, audio and video files and graphics, and several tables give statistical details of the last local bodies poll for various tiers. The victory margins, party-wise performance, voting patterns and other such tables are also available.

Mr. Mohan said the next version of the product would try to provide details pertaining to panchayat ward members.

A former SEC and now AIADMK M.P., K. Malaisamy, lauded the Commission efforts at compiling data on the recent elections using the latest technologies.

Mr. Palanichamy said the SEC would soon have its own web site giving statistics, election laws and rules, functions of the Commission, election forms, orders on symbols and other details. The Commission also had sought a piece of land in the Guindy-Kotturpuram area, near the Government Data Centre, here for constructing its own building.

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