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The Court also directed the State to file an explanation for not complying with its order to conduct the elections within three months from March 31.
Hearing a petition by former Mayor, PR Ramesh, who had moved the High Court against the State Government’s delay, the division bench comprising Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice A S Bopanna told the counsel for the State: “You are delaying deliberately. We will take this matter seriously.”
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Counsel for State Election Commission (SEC), K M Panindra submitted that despite repeated communications, there had been no response from the State government. “ We cannot conduct elections until we get the reservations. Moreover the Electronic Voting Machines are expected to arrive on August 17. Nearly 8000 booths have to be formed, which the SEC has to identify and prepare the electoral rolls accordingly. It is time consuming since the process requires spot inspections, verifications and counter verifications,” he said.
Counsel for the petitioner, Basavaprabhu Patil said that the SEC is hand in glove with the State Government in delaying the electioning process. He said that the State had violated the constitutional mandate. “ It is a breakdown of the Constitutional mechanism. It is lawlessness,” he said. The matter has been adjourned to July 23.