Chennai: Even as the year 2017 was politically hyperactive with RK Nagar bypoll, two constitutional bodies, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the state election commission of Tamil Nadu (SEC) became a laughing stock as they failed to execute the only job of conducting free and fair elections in the state.

The ECI came under severe attack in April, when it failed to distribute the cash for votes and subsequently the RK Nagar bypoll was rescinded.





The matter also reached the Madras high court as the opposition DMK cried foul with the ECI's approach alleging that the commission has failed to take steps for a free and fair by-poll. The first bench comprising chief justice Indira Banerjee also instructed the commission to delete the bogus voters in RK Nagar and directed that the bypoll be conducted before December brings judicial pressure on the election commission.

The recently concluded bypoll on December 21 also came under severe criticism with both the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK levelling charges that the independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran won RK Nagar by inducing voters. PMK leader Ramadoss and DMK leader M.K. Stalin were harsh against ECI alleging that the constitutional body failed to conduct a fair bypoll in high stake RK Nagar.

The Tamil Nadu BJP, which usually refrains from commenting against election commission, also took on the ECI this year saying democracy was crushed in TN by the money power in RK Nagar.

Following BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan securing less than Nota, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan said that the rampantly unchecked distribution of money to voters had made people forget about development plank on which the BJP fought the bypoll.

The situation with the state election commission was worse as the quasi-judicial body has been evading from conducting elections to the local bodies since last October. Despite contempt petitions, the SEC is ducking over at a tactical front buying time from the court.

SEC delaying tactics since last October 2016 The SEC has been hiding behind the DMK, state and high court in delaying the local body polls forgetting its only job once in five years is to conduct civic polls.

DMK, which found that the SEC was in haste to conduct polls, filed a petition in the Madras HC challenging the poll notification timing. The DMK also raised an issue related to reservation of seats to ST/SC seats in local bodies. The court cancelled the poll notification and issued a December 31, 2016, deadline for polls and made observations. The SEC also went on an appeal seeking more time and then the DMK filed a contempt now the SEC wants extra time again.

Adding to the chaos, the state in March delayed the appointment of the new election commissioner after the term of P. Seetharaman expired on March 22.
After sleeping for months, the SEC recently submitted that it needs another three months from the previous deadline of May 31 for the preparation of the Electoral Roll and to complete the process of election to local bodies in the state before July 2017. SEC, which faced a contempt petition in November in the HC is yet to decide the schedule for civic polls.