Chennai: Leaders of various political parties, including DMK President M K Stalin, BJP State chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, TMC president G K Vasan and CPI(M) State Secretary K Balakrishnan welcomed the ECI’s decision to rescind the Tiruvarur by-election.
In a statement, Stalin said everyone would welcome it as holding of by-poll would impact the cyclone relief works, which were not yet completed.
Apart from impacting the relief works, it would also increase anger of the people and create an anti-polling mood, which would definitely not foster democracy, he said.
More than the by-poll victory, the DMK’s stand was that relief works should reach the people, Stalin said, adding, in deference to the wishes of various political parties and the people of Tiruvarur, the ECI’s decision to rescind the elections would be welcomed by everyone.
He also urged the ECI to hold a ‘mini Assembly election’ by holding by-poll to all the 20 vacant seats on a single day along with the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Welcoming it, Tamilisai said the need of the hour in Tiruvarur was relief and not election.
She criticised the CPI for filing a petition with the ECI against holding of the by-election and moving the Supreme Court while extending its support to the DMK for the polls.
AMMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran has said the ECI had staged a drama in the name of a meeting to seek opinion of political parties and cancelled the by-election.