Puducherry: The Puducherry unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded that the local body election in the union territory be postponed by two months.
Talking to newspersons, BJP state president V Saminathan said the State Election Commission (SEC)should have announced the election dates after hearing the views of all sections in view of the rainy and festival season ahead.
However, without consulting political party leaders or legislators the SEC on its own took the decision and announced the dates for elections. Saminathan said November 2 is “All Souls Day” and Christian will go to the cemetery and will not come to vote. Further November 1 is the Liberation Day of Puducherry and in between Diwali festival also is there. In the next 20 days,20 festivals are there and hence, the SEC should reconsider its decision, he added.
He said the population as low as per the 2006 census and holding the election now on the basis of the 2006 census is not proper and urged the Lt.Governor to intervene. It will be very difficult to conduct the election in 20 days after filing nomination papers and hence, the election be postponed by two months, Saminathan said. There is no instance of holding elections during festival seasons and in the Local Body Election one will have to cast three votes and proper training need to be accorded to the voters.
On the proposed bandh by the congress–led front tomorrow, Saminathan said in the last five years, the congress failed to even de-limit the wards and hence, it has no right to hold any bandh.
