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Journalism of Courage
The Madras High Court Friday dismissed a PIL seeking postponement of the polling date in Madurai Lok Sabha constituency in view of the Chithirai festival.
Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar dismissed the petition after the Election Commission submitted that it has extended the voting time in Madurai constituency by two hours.
Parliamentary polls are scheduled to be held in Tamil Nadu on April 18 in a single phase. The court agreed with the EC’s view and explanation and dismissed the petition filed by a Madurai-based advocate.
The petitioner said polling date clashed with the famous Chithirai festival which draws lakhs of people from all over Tamil Nadu and conducting elections on that day would affect the polling percentage.
Counsel for the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer submitted that the polling time in Madurai would be extended by two hours.
The petitioner had submitted that the two major events of the Chithirai festivities were the car festival and ‘ethir sevai’, which clashed with the polling date and hence sought postponement of the election.
