CHENNAI:
Election-related cases pending before the Madras High Court have prevented the Election Commission from announcing by-elections in five of the seven vacant Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, leaving the electoral fate of the seats uncertain.
The five constituencies are Tiruchi East, Karur, Viralimalai, Perundurai and Ambasamudram. While the Election Commission has scheduled bypolls for Madurantakam and Dharapuram on October 6, no election has been announced for the remaining five seats because of court proceedings challenging the results of the April Assembly elections.
The vacancies arose after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay resigned his Tiruchi East seat while six AIADMK MLAs resigned from the Assembly and subsequently joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The six included Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam, Sathyabama of Dharapuram, Jayakumar of Perundurai, Isakki Subbaya of Ambasamudram, C Vijayabaskar of Viralimalai and M R Vijayabaskar of Karur.
However, the election victories of the candidates in the five constituencies have been challenged through separate election petitions. In Tiruchi East, DMK candidate Inigo Irudayaraj has challenged Vijay’s victory. In Karur, TVK candidate Mathiyalagan has challenged M R Vijayabaskar’s election. DMK candidate Chellapandian has challenged C Vijayabaskar’s victory in Viralimalai.
In Perundurai, DMK candidate and former minister Thoppu Venkatachalam has challenged Jayakumar’s election. In Ambasamudram, voter Gandhimathinathan has challenged the victory of Isakki Subbaya. The petitions have resulted in the Madras High Court restraining the conduct of by-elections in these constituencies.
The Election Commission had earlier informed the High Court that it would not notify bypolls in the five seats until the election petitions were decided. The court had extended its interim restraint until September 8, creating a legal hurdle to filling the vacancies within the normal timeframe.
The situation is significant because election rules generally provide for a vacant Assembly constituency to be filled through a by-election within six months. However, the pending litigation over the original election results has complicated the process in these five constituencies.
In contrast, there are no such legal impediments in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. The Election Commission has therefore scheduled polling in these two reserved constituencies for October 6. The nomination process begins on September 9, nominations close on September 16, scrutiny will take place on September 17 and candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19. Counting will be held on October 9.
The two bypolls will be politically important for the ruling TVK government, particularly because the party is seeking to consolidate its position after the resignations of the six former AIADMK MLAs. The outcome could also provide an early indication of the political strength of the new government and the opposition parties.
For now, however, the five constituencies remain caught in litigation. Their electoral future will depend largely on the outcome and further directions of the Madras High Court, while the Election Commission has proceeded with the two seats where no comparable legal barrier exists.