Chennai, Dec 20 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition from the opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu for a direction to the State Election Commissioner and the state government to conduct elections to the urban local bodies in a free and fair manner.

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A division bench of Justices M Duraiswamy and Justice P D Audikesavalu ordered the notice, returnable by January 3, when the PIL petition from AIADMK, by its organisation secretary D Jayakumar, came up today.

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The petition prayed for a direction to the SEC and the Municipal Administration department to implement the directions issued by the Election Commission of India from time to time to ensure a free and fair conduct of Urban Local bodies elections to be held in the state or other directions as the court may deem fit. The election schedule is yet to be announced.

According to the petitioner, during the Assembly elections in April this year, the AIADMK had highlighted to the ECI about the rampant use of money, exceeding of expenditure limits by parties to canvass votes, sale of illicit liquor and distribution of cash to voters, use of anti-social elements to threaten or intimidate voters, non-adherence to Covid-19 protocols during campaigning by other parties, use of corruptive practices to procure votes and use of unparliamentary language by members from other political parties including derogatory remarks on the personal lives of AIADMK members.

Petitioner apprehended that the same same practices would continue to be employed by the other political parties more so the present ruling party (DMK), in the ensuing urban local bodies elections, too to procure votes and win the elections, at any cost.

Therefore, he had sent a representation on November 1 to the SEC on behalf of AIADMK requesting them to take proactive measures against the above said concerns to ensure free and fair elections and enable the people in the respective districts exercise their right to franchise without any impediments.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)