A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government “in its wisdom” to take immediate steps to bring in legislation incorporating appropriate provision in the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act for the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in rural local body elections.
The Bench comprising Justices Huluvadi G. Ramesh and K. Ravichandra Baabu passed the direction on the PIL petitions moved by DMK and PMK seeking direction to the State Election Commission and the State government to use EVMs in local body elections, and to follow reservation as mandated by law.
The judges clarified that the direction has been passed to avoid any sort of confusion and litigation that may arise, since there is no such provision in the Act mandating use of EVMs.
As for the plea for induction of Central government employees as poll officers and observers, the Bench said, “For free and fair conduct of poll so as to enable all the citizens to exercise their franchise in the most transparent manner, this court feels that the State Election Commission may try and identify vulnerable areas/polling booths/localities throughout the State. In those places, the Commission may try to induct Central government employees as polling officers and observers so that the sanctity of the election is not questioned. Further, such an exercise would also avoid multiplicity of legal proceedings before the Court of law.”
Reservation for women
As regards the rotation to be made based on delimitation and the reservation for women and other sections of the society, as mandated by the Act, the Advocate General submitted that rules of reservation and rotation had been followed in consonance with the relevant Acts.