Madras HC extends stay on civic polls in Puducherry till Nov 11

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday extended the stay on the elections for local bodies in Puducherry till November 11 after the counsels for the Puducherry government and the State Election Commission (SEC) sought time for submitting their response.

When a batch of writ petitions came up for hearing, the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu extended the operation of an earlier order issued by another division bench. “Since the respondents seek leave to file counter-affidavits, let the matter appear a week after the Diwali vacation,” the bench said, and directed the matter be listed on November 11. It added, “The subsisting interim order will continue till these matters are next taken up by the court.”

The petitioners, including DMK MLA and Leader of Opposition in Puducherry Assembly R Siva, challenged the two notifications on poll schedule and reservation of seats. They wanted orders to stay the poll process as reservation was not provided for Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes.Hearing their arguments on October 11, the division bench of Justices R Mahadevan and Abdul Quddhose had ordered the poll process to be kept in abeyance as it was in violation of the Constitutional mandate of providing reservations in local bodies.

Why was stay sought?
The petitioners wanted orders to stay the poll process as reservation was not provided for BCs and STs