The State Election Commission (SEC) has decided to approach the Supreme Court against a High Court Division Bench order directing it to use the voters’ list for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for conducting local body polls in the State.
The commission will file its appeal before the apex court next week, State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran said. On Thursday, the Division Bench had quashed an earlier Single Bench decision upholding the commission's plan to utilise the electoral rolls used for the local body elections in 2015 as the basis for updating the voters' list.
The Division Bench verdict came on appeals filed by Congress leader N. Venugopal and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader Soopy Narikkatteri. On its part, the commission had taken the stand that it would be impractical to use the voters’ list prepared by the Election Commission of India for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for the local body elections. Meanwhile, Minister for Local Self-Government A.C. Moideen backed the State Election Commission’s decision to move the Supreme Court. On its part, the State government will provide all assistance to the commission to avoid delay in holding the local body elections, Mr. Moideen told reporters here.
“The commission has made it clear that the stand taken by it (to use the 2015 voters’ list) is the correct one for casting a flawless list for the elections. In such a context, the SEC has every right to appeal,” Mr. Moideen said.
UDF criticised
Mr. Moideen accused the UDF of attempting to delay the election process by filing appeals against the Single Bench decision. “It gives rise to a suspicion that the UDF is afraid that the elections will be held on time. Does it fear that the front will not win? The government is convinced that the elections can be conducted on time,” he said.
