TN urban local body polls: Campaigning picks up tempo as rules relaxed

Chennai: Campaigns picked up momentum all over the state as the countdown for the February 19 urban local body elections on Saturday with the State Election Commission (SEC) announcing a few relaxations to its earlier restrictions on roadshows and setting up election offices for candidates.

Party workers engaged in mobilizing crowds for the hall meetings or the video conference addresses by their leaders, too, welcomed the SEC relaxing its norms as local body polls have taken the contours of a larger Assembly or Parliament election with even national issues figuring in the campaigns.

In his address to voters of Kanyakumari district, Chief Minister M K Stalin launched a scathing attack on even Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues, including his failure to protect fishermen setting out to the Palk Straits. He also attacked former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Top leaders of all parties were on tour addressing people on not just local issues of immediate concern to the voters but also touch upon larger problems relating to the State on the whole and taking potshots at rival leaders.

Another indication of the elections to the 489 local bodies – 21 Corporations, 138 Municipalities and 489 Town Panchayats – turning acrimonious is the alleged betrayal of party functionaries, which is evident from the large scale expulsions. The AIADMK removed several of its functionaries across the State from their basic membership itself on Friday.

At the grassroots level, with less than a week left for campaigning, candidates started taking out small processions with loud speaker-fitted vehicles blaring poll promises driving ahead, thus restoring the traditional carnival aura to the elections.

The SEC also extended the timing for campaigns, which can now be done from 6 am to 10 pm, thus providing opportunities for meeting voters at night after they return from work or catching up with them before they leave home.

The earlier timing of 8 am to 8 pm was resented by the candidates and the political parties. Similarly the restriction on number of persons going for door to door canvassing has also been relaxed and the parties and candidates have been asked to seek prior permission for taking out processions, marches, cycle rallies and other road shows.

In the event of star speakers of parties canvassing for the candidates, prior permission should be obtained for holding the meetings in which Covid protocols should be followed strictly, the SEC announced on Saturday.

For setting up election offices, the SEC relaxed its earlier norms and urged the candidates and parties to follow the regulations given by the Election Commission of India for the last State Assembly elections.

The slackening of the several strict regulations was welcomed by the candidates and their supporters as they began mobilizing supporters and organizing road shows immediately. It also gave more leeway for the candidates to reach out to the voters by starting off early and winding up late.

Another notification from the SEC was on giving out State level advertisements. The parties and candidates were urged to get the approval of the SEC’s Media accreditation and monitoring committee and then release the advertisements in the media.

For advertisements to be given out at the district level, the permission of the district election officers should be taken in advance, a press release from SEC said.