SC refuses to stay counting of votes for UP panchayat polls
New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court on Saturday refused to stay the counting of votes for panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for Sunday.
In a special urgent hearing on a court holiday, a bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy passed the order after taking note of several notifications and assurances of the UP State Election Commission that COVID-19 protocols will be followed at the 829 counting centres in the state.
The apex court directed that there will be strict curfew in the entire state during counting of votes till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted.
It also asked the State Election Commission to fasten responsibility for observance of COVID-19 protocols at counting centres on gazettes officers.
The bench also directed the poll panel to preserve CCTV footage of counting centres in the state till the Allahabad High Court concludes hearing on related petitions before it.
It also ordered that government officials, candidates and their agents will have to produce RT-PCR tests to show they are COVID-19 negative before entering counting centres.
The top court's direction came on a plea seeking direction for observance of COVID-19 protocols in counting of votes on Sunday in view of the second wave raging across the country.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
