Chennai: The Madras high court has ordered issuance of fresh notice to the Chief Electoral Officer on an election petition, challenging the election of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa from R.K. Nagar assembly constituency during the May 2016 state assembly elections.
Justice M. Duraiswamy ordered issuance of fresh notice, after it was brought to his notice that the notice already ordered is yet to be served on the CEO,.
The judge adjourned to November 29, further hearing of the election petition filed by G. Pravina, who had contested the election as an independent candidate from R.K. Nagar constituency.
During the course of hearing, the petitioner appearing in person sought to adjourn the case till the recovery of the ailing Chief Minister. Opposing the same, senior counsel A. Navaneethakrishnan, appearing for Jayalalithaa, submitted that there was no need for that as he was representing her.
In her petition, Pravina submitted that the Returning Officer had not given permission to her for campaigning and using vehicles in the constituency. The vehicles used by her were detained at gun point by the police. The Pot symbol was not as per the specification of the Election Commission of India. Therefore, she gave a complaint to CEO and later complained through phone call. Though the CEO assured that action will be taken, no such action was taken on her complaint to stop or to postpone the election.
