"Covid A Good Excuse": Supreme Court Raps Tamil Nadu Election Commission

As the court observed that the local elections have not been conducted for nearly two years in these districts, it gave a deadline till September 15, and stressed: "Covid is a good excuse in all matters".

Tamil Nadu State Election Commission was today pulled up by the Supreme Court over delay in conducting local polls in nine new districts. As the court observed that the local elections have not been conducted for nearly two years in these districts, it gave a deadline till September 15, and stressed: "Covid is a good excuse in all matters". Senior Advocate PS Narasimha, representing the state poll body, told the court that Covid cases in Tamil Nadu are "the highest in the country and delimitation has to be done in the newly carved out nine districts". The state has so far logged 24.29 lakh total coronavirus cases and 31,386 deaths. Even as Maharashtra saw a drop in infections, Tamil Nadu had been witnessing a surge earlier this month. Justice Hemant Gupta, heading a two-judge bench, replied, "Covid is a good excuse in all matters."