AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa is contesting to return to the House as an elected member
AIADMK cadres canvas for R K Nagar bypoll. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: The BJP and the Congress have decided to boycott the June 27 byelection to the Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in north Chennai from where Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa is contesting to return to the House as an elected member.
With just two days left for filing of nominations for the by-election, the BJP decided to make its decision official. This is the first time the BJP is abstaining from contesting a by-election. On earlier occasions it had unsuccessfully contested and the Srirangam contest turned disastrous for the party.
After making frantic attempts to field a candidate on behalf of NDA, the saffron party backtracked from throwing its hat into the ring when its ally, the DMDK, strongly convinced it on the folly of losing at the hustings, especially when TN is scheduled for Assembly polls next year.
“The necessity for the NDA to contest does not arise, as the election is unlikely to be impartial. Hence, we have decided not to contest,” Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP state president said.
Alleging the “misuse of the official machinery and indulging in malpractices in the constituency,” Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president E.V.K.S. Elangovan said his party had decided not to contest from R. K. Nagar constituency. “The officials have failed to prevent an ‘unusual situation’ from prevailing in the constituency,” Mr Elangovan alleged and claimed that money was being distributed in the constituency.
Earlier, the opposition parties, DMK, MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), had announced to boycott the by-poll. Nevertheless, the CPI fielded Mahendran as its candidate.
Apart from the latter, anti-graft crusader ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy is the other familiar face in the constituency facing by-poll owing to the resignation of AIADMK legislator P. Vetrivel on May 17 to facilitate the election of Ms Jayalalithaa from this city constituency for the first time.
Dalit women group to contest 2016 election:
The Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement has announced to contest the 2016 Assembly poll to empower the Dalit women.
A decision to this effect was made at a meeting of the organisation here and it was attended by the office bearers from Chennai, Tiruchi, Salem, Krishnagiri, Vellore Thiruvallur and Thanjavur districts. The movement has been championing for the cause of the rights of Dalit women in the state for over 18 years.
According to a release here, M. Grace, coordinator, said it has been decided to field Dalit women at both the general and reserved constituencies in the Assembly and local bodies elections scheduled for next year.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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