Madras HC Upholds Cancellation of LS Election in Vellore by EC

The Vellore constituency was scheduled to go to polls on 18 April.

The police had filed a complaint against DMK candidate Kathir Anand and two party functionaries on the basis of a report from Income Tax department.

(Photo: ANI)

The Madras High Court on Wednesday, 17 April, upheld the Election Commission's decision of cancelling polling in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu.

A bench of justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad dismissed petitions filed by AIADMK-led alliance candidate in the constituency AC Shanmugham and an independent against cancellation of the election which was slated for Thursday.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday, 16 April, rescinded the election to the Vellore parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu, accepting the recommendation of the EC dated 14 April, the poll body said in a statement.

Earlier reports had suggested that the election in the constituency would be cancelled over excess use of money power, in the wake of cash seizures from DMK leaders over the last two weeks.

At least Rs 11.5 crore cash was seized from a warehouse in the constituency, with the seat scheduled to go to polls on 18 April.

The EC, which has the power to issue notification for conducting elections, also has the power to recommend cancellation if it arrives at the view that it is necessary to halt the election, the bench said.

The EC had sent the recommendation to President Ram Nath Kovind on 14 April. Since the president signs the notification for Lok Sabha elections, it is he who rescinds it.

The district police had filed a complaint against DMK candidate Kathir Anand as well as two party functionaries on the basis of a report from the Income Tax department on 10 April.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)