The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday, 7 January, has cancelled the January 28 Tiruvarur bypoll, necessitated by the demise of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, after political parties expressed reservation in holding the exercise in view of the ongoing relief measures following Cyclone Gaja.
An EC order said the notification issued for the bypoll had been cancelled.
The notification “calling upon 168-Thiruvarur Assembly Constituency to elect an MLA stands rescinded forthwith. All steps taken by Returning Officer, District Election Officer and electoral authorities concerned are hereby declared null and void,” the EC said, reported ANI.
Tiruvarur is one of the worst-hit districts in the Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu due to severe cyclonic storm Gaja in November 2018.
Tiruvarur District Collector L Nirmal Raj, who is also the District Election Officer, had on 5 January, held a meeting with the representatives of the political parties after the CEO asked him for his view on holding the bypoll.
Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha member D Raja had submitted a representation to the CEO, seeking postponement of the bypoll.
People Know the Motive, Says MK Stalin
At the meeting with the collector, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) pushed for the postponement, while the DMK, though it had announced Poondi Kalaivanan's candidature from the seat, said the bypoll should be held after the completion of the cyclone relief work.
DMK chief MK Stalin had said “people know the motive” behind announcing bypoll to only Tiruvarur though 19 other seats were vacant as well, adding that his party was “not afraid” of the bypoll.
Besides the DMK, the TTV Dhinakaran-led Amma Makal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) had also announced its candidate and the ruling AIADMK was previously expected to declare its nominee on Monday.
Dhinakaran called the postponement of polls a “mockery of democracy.” In a Twitter post, he wrote:
“After the Election Commission announced the date for polling, calling for a meeting and citing post-Gaja cyclone work and postponing the election is a complete mockery of democracy,” he said.
As many as 18 seats fell vacant after AIADMK legislators were disqualified for siding with Dhinakaran and the Tiruparankundram seat fell vacant after the ruling party's AK Bose passed away in 2018.
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)