By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress-led opposition Wednesday walked out of the Kerala assembly protesting against the delay by the Left government in making preparations for the local bodies poll.
Seeking to move an adjournment motion, Congress legislator K. Babu said the government is not assisting in the ground work needed to be done for the local bodies poll.
“The State Election Commission (SEC) has not been given any help and today the commission acts as the B team of the government. The voters list and the delimitation process are yet to be completed. These things are being done purposefully because the government does not want the smooth conduct of the polls,” said Babu.
As per the rules, the new local bodies should assume office by Oct 2. Elections have to be held to fill up close to 22,000 seats in the three-tier local body structure in the state.
Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, deputizing for Local Self Government Minister Paloli Muhammed Kutty, objected to the opposition criticizing the SEC which is a constitutional body.
“If one looks into the conduct of the previous local bodies poll in 2005, the delimitation process was completed by your government in July and it was in August that the voters list was put out. So by that standard, we are one month ahead and there is no need to be worried. All things are going on in the right manner,” said Isaac.
The 2005 local bodies poll was held when the present leader of opposition Oommen Chandy was the chief minister.
Chandy, however, said that the SEC wrote to the government for all help almost an year in advance.
“But you were not interested and you delayed the work for the conduct of the poll till the end of last year. It is now clear that it is an attempt to delay the entire process so that the ruling party can manipulate things,” said Chandy.
He warned that the opposition will not allow any manipulation and led the entire opposition out of the assembly.