BJP wants civic polls on time, meets CEC

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP's Kerala unit Tuesday urged the State Election Commission not to conduct the civic polls during the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage session beginning on November 17.

A delegation led by the unit President V Muraleedharan submitted a memorandum to SEC K Sasidharan Nair and expressed the party's protest against not holding the polls as per schedule next month.

After an all-party meeting, the SEC has yesterday announced that the civic polls would be held in November and the dates would be declared later.

The new governing body of Civic bodies has to take charge on November 1 as per the law, Muraleedharan said adding the government and the ruling front were trying to sabotage this by postponing the polls, he said.

Since the High Court had made it clear that SEC has the right to decide on conduct of polls, the SEC should take steps to hold polls on time, he said.

It was not proper to hold polls during Sabarimala pilgrimage season, he said.