No TN Council polls before order on delimitation pleas: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained the Election Commission from going ahead with Tamil Nadu Legislative Council elections till a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Presidential notification for delimitation of Upper House constituencies is decided by the court.

A Bench of Justices J M Panchal and H L Gokhale clarified that there will be no election for the Legislative Council till it disposes of the petitions on the issue of delimitation of the seats pending before it.

The court was hearing the petitions filed by BJP and certain individuals — M Bharathiar and Tindivanam K Ramamurthee — challenging the Madras High Court order which had refused to interfere in the notification saying it was legal and valid.

On an earlier hearing on January 17,the Bench had asked the Centre,the state government and the Election Commission to file their responses.