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Opposition may keep its word - boycott polls
NT Bureau
Chennai, Jan 29:
In a quick move following the resignation of Councillors belonging to the DMK and its allies, the State Election Commission (SEC) has notified elections to 100 wards of the Chennai Corporation. Elections will be held on 18 February.
Chandrashekar addressing mediapersons yesterday. |
The move of the SEC has caught the opposition
unawares, sources here said. The AIADMK has been consistently maintaining
that it would 'not accept' any elections in the State till such time the
SEC top man is shifted out.
The main opposition and its ally, the MDMK and others have been demanding the suspension of top police officials besides the SEC chief Chandrashekar for 'allowing' violence during the October 2006 polls. It is said the opposition was expecting a change of guard in the SEC following its persistent stand that 'fair elections are possible only under a new team.' The AIADMK and others were expecting the government to shift key officials in the lines of the decision of the Chief Minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi to ask the Councillors to quit en masse in the wake of a split verdict in the civic polls violence case. |
In this evolving context, the State government in an apparent move to turn the tables on the opposition has given the State Commission the go- ahead to conduct elections sooner than latter.
Sources in the opposition
parties said they would prefer to choose the option of boycotting the bypolls
to 100 wards. This would help 'rob the ruling DMK the credit of having
won a closely fought election,' and 'fix' the government, sources added.
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Date of polling : 18 February. Date of counting : 20 February. Filing of nominations begins today. Last date for filing papers : 5 February. Scrutiny of nominations : 6 February. Last day to take back applications : 8 February. Secret election to choose Mayor: 1 March |