Matter of 49 votes: 2016 votes recounted for a TN seat, AIADMK MLA’s fate sealed in envelope
Justice G Jayachandran had directed the Election Commission to recount 203 postal ballots and the EVMs of the last three rounds on Appavu’s petition alleging rigging of counting after his loss to AIADMK’s IS Inbadurai by mere 49 votes.
Recounting of votes polled in Radhapuram constituency in the 2016 assembly elections was held at Madras High Court premises on Friday following a petition challenging the results by the runner up opposition candidate Appavu. The final result has been submitted to court as its declaration has been stayed by the Supreme Court.
Justice G Jayachandran had directed the Election Commission to recount 203 postal ballots and the EVMs of the last three rounds on Appavu’s petition alleging rigging of counting after his loss to AIADMK’s IS Inbadurai by mere 49 votes. Appavu was present at the counting along with his legal team.
Appavu had challenged the Radhapuram assembly poll result alleging 203 postal votes had been declared invalid without counting and he was evicted from the counting centre when he protested. The last three rounds were counted in his absence, he had claimed.
He had told the court that till the 19th round, he was leading by a margin of over 7000 votes.
If Inbadurai’s election is set aside by the High Court, it will be a setback for AIADMK ahead of the October 21 bypoll for Vikrawvandi and Nanguneri assembly seats.
An adverse decision could bring some other seats lost marginally by the DMK and its allies into sharp political focus. Thol Thirumavalavan had lost Kattumannarkoil seat to the AIADMK’s N Muruganandam by only 87 votes. There too, 102 postal votes were declared as void.