The Madras High Court on Thursday ordered that the results of the election for the board of trustees of the Pachaiyappa’s Trust be held back until further orders.
However, the election, scheduled for May 26, can go on.
Justice K. Ravichandra Baabu passed the order on applications by advocates R. Nagarajan and M. Arumugam. The applicants said they were eligible voters in the election. As per an order of the High Court in October last year, the vacancies that were to be filled were for the remaining period of two years for the board of trustees. It was not for the entire term of office of five years. However, in the election notification, the period of office of trustees to be elected had been shown as five years, which was wrong and contrary to the court order.
According to the applicants, the trust’s interim administrator T.N. Seshan, a former chief election commissioner should have declared the final electoral roll on May 6. But that had not been done so far. In the absence of such a basic requirement, the election could not go on, they said.
Further, in previous elections, nine polling stations were provided outside Chennai to facilitate all eligible voters residing outside the city to register their vote without any difficulty. However, in the present election notification, only one polling station at the Pachaiyappa’s College here had been given. The present interim administrator had brought in a new disqualification outside the scope of the scheme by laying down that those who did not own property in Chennai could not contest for the post of trustee, they said.
In the order, Justice B. Rajendran said the votes could be counted, but the results should be held back.
The matter has been posted for June 5.
