The Madras High Court on Wednesday declined to issue a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to postpone the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Polling in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is scheduled for April 13.
In its common order disposing of writ petitions seeking postponement of elections, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, said it was of the view that since the elections would be held in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory after all the examinations, including higher secondary exams, are over, it did not think it just and proper to direct the EC to postpone the elections. However, the court imposed conditions that should be strictly followed by the election authorities.
One condition was that there should be no campaigning by any political party, its followers or sympathisers within 200 metres of any school designated as an examination centre.
The Makkal Sakthi Katchi, represented by its State steering committee member, Siva Elango, Guru Appasamy of Periya Thachur in Villupuram district and K. Rajenthren, an advocate of Mayiladuthurai, sought a direction to the EC to reschedule the elections.
The Bench said the higher secondary examinations commenced on March 2 and would end on March 25. Similarly, all other SSLC, matriculation and OSLC examinations would end on April 11. Therefore, election would not be held during the examination period. The authorities had categorically stated that teachers who would be deputed for duty as polling staff would be required to attend training classes on three days before the polling date, which would be after the completion of the examinations. Moreover, these classes would be held only on holidays. The court said it did not think it proper to direct postponement of elections. It laid down other conditions, including that no teacher of the school where exams are held should be deployed or called for training before completion of the examinations and no school buses should be requisitioned before April 11 for election purposes.
