Chennai: Former transport minister V. Senthil Balaji and M. Rengasamy have been re-nominated by the ruling AIADMK for the November 19 Assembly elections to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur, where polls were cancelled in May due to large-scale poll violations including bribing of voters.
The AIADMK also nominated A.K. Bose, former MLA, from Thiruparankundram in Madurai, where by-polls will be held on November 19 after the MLA-elect from the constituency S.M. Seenivel passed away before he could be sworn in as MLA in May 2016.
While Balaji, former transport minister, will be the party nominee from Aravakurichi, AIADMK's Thanjavur north district secretary Rengasamy is the candidate from Thanjavur, the par-ty said in a release.
The release said the announcement was being made with the “approval” of party chief J. Jayalalithaa, being treated at Apollo Hospitals since September 22.
Polls in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur were cancelled by the Election Commission on the eve of the May 16 Assembly elections following widespread allegations of rampant use of money to bribe voters.
The Election Commission had rescheduled the elections first, but then cancelled the notification and announced that a fresh schedule would be announced at a later stage since the atmosphere in these two constituencies is “seriously vitiated” due to use of money.
While cancelling the elections in the two constituencies in May, the EC had said its flying squad had seized a total of Rs 7.12 crore in cash, 429.24 litres of liquor and 33.256 kg of silver worth Rs 9 lakh at Aravakurichi, and '75,20,850 cash and 2,145.12 litres of liquor at Thanjavur constituency.
Balaji, one of the well-known faces of the AIADMK regime who was dropped by Ms Jayalalithaa from her Cabinet in 2015, was shifted to Aravakurichi from his old constituency of Karur in May 16 Assembly elections.
Both Balaji and his opponent from DMK, K.C. Palanichamy, were booked for poll violations, including distribution of money to voters, during the May 16 polls and were also named in the extraordinary proceedings published by the Election Commission. The DMK is yet to announce its candidates for the polls.
