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HC questions delay in two bypolls, including seat held by Karunanidhi
Both seats fell vacant in August this year due to the death of sitting MLAs, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur) and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham’s (AIADMK) AK Bose (Thirparankunmdram).
Pulling up the Election Commission for the delay in holding bye-elections to Tiruvarur and Tiruparankundram assembly seats, the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer to file the election schedule and work progress for the bypolls on or before November 27.
Both seats fell vacant in August this year due to the death of sitting MLAs, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur) and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham’s (AIADMK) AK Bose (Thirparankunmdram).
A division bench of Justices KK Sasidharan and PD Audhikesavulu passed the order on a PIL from KK Ramesh, a Madurai-based social activist. He claimed that the state government had asked the Election Commission to postpone the bypolls for the two seats on the ground that it would be tough to conduct them when heavy downpour had been predicted.
During the hearing, the bench raised several queries over the delay in conducting the elections.
Earlier in the day, DMK president MK Stalin alleged that assembly elections might be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in May 2019, instead of 2021 as scheduled.
“The DMK is also awaiting the bypoll for 18 assembly segments of the disqualified (AIADMK) legislators as well. As such, the party is ready to contest all the 20 seats. But, there is strong speculation of a snap poll together with the general election in 2019,” Stalin said at an event in Chennai.
Apart from Tiruvarur and Thirupparankundram, 18 assembly seats are also lying vacant after the High Court upheld the assembly speaker’s decision of disqualifying 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs, owing allegiance to TTV Dhinakaran, nephew of Jayalalithaa’s close-aide VK Sasikala.
With the Dhinakaran camp deciding not to appeal the HC judgement in Supreme Court, elections would be held for those 18 seats too.
