: Madras High Court today directed the Election Commissioner to take up counting of votes tomorrow to elections conducted to Young Baduga Association of Nilgiris on January 12 2014.
The ballot boxes were kept in custody of the Registrar General of the Court as per its orders the day following the elections and under the custody of RG.
The Division Bench comprising Justices V Dhanapalan and M Duraiswamy, which dismissed appeals by six people, including Niligiri's MLA Buddhichandran challenging a single judge's order to conduct the Election before Jan 15 originally ordered counting in the Additional Library Hall today.
But on plea from appelants' senior counsel,it directed the Court Appointed Commissioner,retired IAS officer Sundaradevan, to take up counting and declare of results tomorrow.
Earlier Justice K K Sasidharan passed orders on a petition by one R.Ravikumar, the Association Secretary, for conduct of election to its executive Committee after getting consent of the petitioner and the MLA before January 15.
The Judge also appointed Sundaradevan as Election Commissioner to conduct the elections.
The petitioners then filed an appeal and while it was pending, a single judge directed that elections be conducted under the supervision of the Court appointed EC.
The bench today said that from available records, it was their considered view Buddichandran and his loyalists were looking for personal gains either in the association or in the Society,who acted in an undemocratic way by electing themselves as office Bearers of the Association.
While the Association's objectives among others are to uplift society by educating Badugas through higher education, infighting would only spoil development of the society,it said
The bench also said that Buddichandran, who appeared before the single judge and expressed willingness to conduct the polls cannot take a different stand before the bench.
It said once election process starts as per law the Court cannot interfere and any challenge can be made only before the competent Election tribunal after completion of poll process.
"Buddichandran and his followers ought to have followed the provisions of TN Societies Registration Act in keeping the society in Democratic Set up and at least in future they will work for the welfare of Society" and dismissed the appeals and ordered for counting of Votes tomorrow.
