QChennai: Campaigning for RK Nagar Bypoll Ends, and More

Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.

While parties are competing at finding innovative methods to campaign for the RK Nagar bypoll, an analysis finds criminal charges against several candidates.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ OfficeOfOPS)

1. Unprecedented Security in Constituency, EC Tells HC

With the demise of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, the ruling party AIADMK divided into factions and this bypoll will be a deciding factor for them to prove who is the real AIADMK successor.(Photo Courtesy: The Quint/ Smitha TK)

The Madras High Court on Monday recorded the observation of Election Commission that it had put in place unprecedented arrangements to curb electoral crimes in the RK Nagar Assembly constituency, slated to go for bypoll on Thursday. It hoped that the commission would prevent with an iron hand the illegal practice of bribing voters and ensure free and fair elections.

Senior Counsel P Wilson, representing the petitioner, urged the court to order installation of closed-circuit television cameras in every street in the constituency to keep a check on distribution of money to voters.

(Source: The Hindu)

2. Campaign for RK Nagar Byelection Ends Today

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam have been campaigning for AIADMK candidate E Madhusudanan.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ OfficeOfOPS)

The intense electioneering carried out by various political parties and Independent candidates in Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency is set to end on Tuesday evening. The bypoll has been scheduled for 21 December.

According to a release from the Chief Electoral Officer, none shall convene, hold or attend any public meeting or procession in connection with an election from 5 pm on Tuesday till the end of polls on Thursday. The release of results or conduct of opinion poll would be prohibited from 5 pm on Tuesday to 5 pm on Thursday.

(Source: The Hindu)

3. Speaker Rubbishes Allegation of Acting in Cahoots with CM

Speaker Dhanapal said the action taken against MLAs supporting Dhinakaran was taken as per rules .(Photo Courtesy: Twiiter/ PDhanpaloffcl)

Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal on Monday rubbished claims of collusion between him and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the issue of disqualifying 18 AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to sidelined leader TTV Dhinakaran, and claimed that he had sought the CM’s comments only as per the requirements of the law on the subject.

Arguing for the Speaker, senior counsel C Aryama Sundaram said the petitioners had taken objection to his client having called for comments from the CM before disqualifying them and termed it as collusion.

(Source: The Hindu)

4. Daswant Seeks Punishment Instead of Trial

Daswant has been accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a child, killing his own mother for jewels and threatening the parents of the deceased girl on the court premises.(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

On Monday, amidst tight security, Daswant, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Mugalivakkam earlier this year and a suspect in the murder of his mother, was produced before the mahila court in Chengalpattu for trial. He gave a petition to the sessions court judge, seeking punishment instead of a trial.

However, mahila court judge P Velmurugan warned him. An advocate from the Legal Aid Services has been assigned to present his case during trial, said the judge, following which the accused withdrew his petition. The court posted the case for further hearing on Wednesday.

(Source: The Hindu)

5. FERA Case: Dhinakaran Knocks at HC's Doors

The case against TTV Dhinakaran was that he had allegedly acquired $1,04,93,313 in foreign exchange from unauthorised dealers in violation of FERA provisions. (Photo: PTI)

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Monday told the Madras High Court that sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran was attempting to protract the proceedings in a 21-year-old case booked against him under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) of 1973 by now insisting upon examination of as many as 17 witnesses in the case.

Representing the ED, Additional Solicitor-General G Rajagopalan told the court that most of the witnesses sought to be examined by the accused were either dead or aged.

(Source: The Hindu)

6. Saudi Market Could Script Kollywood's Success

Raju Mahalingam, creative head of 2.0 production team, felt that the overall revenue for the film could increase by 30 percent.(Photo Courtesy: Youtube)

After Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman promised to usher in a number of social reforms, the Saudi Arabian regime announced last week that it would reopen movie theatres in the country in March next year, lifting a 35-year ban. The Ministry of Culture and Information, Saudi Arabia has said that it intends to have close to 2,000 screens in the country by 2030. This move, according to experts in the Tamil film industry, is likely to increase the revenues of Tamil films in West Asia region by 20-25 percent, say market watchers.

With the emergence of a new market for movies, actor Rajinikanth’s 2.0 is likely to be the first major south Indian film to launch in the Saudi Arabian market and is likely to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

(Source: The Hindu)

7. Cable Operators Owe over Rs 4 Crore

Cable TV operators owe crores of rupees to the state, and haven’t paid heed despite the warnings. (Photo Courtesy: iStock)

Cable operators in Kancheepuram district, excluding Tambaram division, owe more than Rs 4 crore to the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV (TACTV) Corporation. Sources revealed that nearly 1,200 licenced operators had not paid the monthly subscription collected from the public for the past few years.

When repeated reminders and circulars had not evoked any response from the operators, the Corporation had warned that a fine would be imposed on defaulters.

(Source: The Hindu)

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