Protest organised for holding local bodies’ polls in Puducherry

Protests in Puducherry demand local bodies' elections, highlighting lack of democracy and safety concerns in healthcare facilities.

The Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (PMMMK) has decided to hold a series of protests for conducting the local bodies’ polls in the Union Territory. It launched its agitation on Tuesday, in front of the Oulgaret Municipality office.

President of Puducherry Local Bodies Association G.A. Jagannathan and CPI (ML) secretary S. Balasubramanian were present at the protest. PMMMK president M. Ramadass said similar agitations would be held in front of the offices of other municipalities and panchayats in the coming days.

The Union Territory has been deprived of elected municipalities and panchayats despite directions from the court to hold polls. The Union Territory has conducted local bodies’ elections only once in the last 56 years. It is “unconstitutional and undemocratic” not to hold polls to civic bodies, he added.

Several speakers at the protest questioned the silence of main political parties and MLAs on the issue, accusing them of showing lack of interest in having elected municipalities and panchayats due to their reluctance in sharing power.