Kochi (Kerala) : The State Election Commission on Tuesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it has not yet fixed the programme for the local body elections and that no notification has been issued for the same.
State Election Commission counsel Murali Purushothaman, in a statement, submitted that the decision on how and when to conduct the election will be taken after deliberations with stakeholders and after examining all the inputs received following a comprehensive assessment.
The statement was filed before the High Court on a petition filed by Muhammed Rafi of Malappuram seeking directions to the poll panel to postpone the elections due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commission submitted that the preparations are in full swing for holding the polls though the election process has not yet commenced and no date has been fixed for the polls.
The election machinery of the state was alerted so as to be in a state of readiness for conducting timely election, the statement said adding that the tenure of the existing panchayats at all levels, municipalities, except Mattannur municipality, and municipal corporations will expire on November 11, 2020, and the polls will have to be held before it to ensure new members are in office by November 12.