Kochi: Amid apprehensions that elections to the local bodies in Kerala is likely to be delayed due to various reasons, ruling Congress-led UDF today said it wanted to conduct the crucial polls as per schedule in October this year.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the issue will be discussed at a high-level meeting to be held in Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow. “Government wishes to see that the elections to the local bodies are held as per schedule. It should not be delayed. We will hold a high-level meeting with the State Election Commission tomorrow,” he said.
“Government will make all arrangements for the Commission to hold elections as per schedule. The government has only one demand…elections should not be delayed,” Chandy told reporters here. The Chief Minister’s comments comes in wake of reports that delay in completing ward delimitation process is likely to upset the elections to the local bodies, which is seen by political observers as a semi-final to the assembly polls scheduled next year.
Citing the slow pace the delimitation process are being carried out, State Election Commission has informed the government that it would be difficult to hold elections in October. Meanwhile, various political parties have challenged in the High Court the ward delimitation in various local bodies including corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats. Last week, the High Court had set aside the ward delimitation in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode corporations and a proposal to form Kazhakoottam municipality in Thiruvananthapuram.
