Chennai: A total of 134 nominations submitted by the candidates belonging to the AIADMK, DMK, and MNM besides independents for the May 19 by-election to the four Assembly constituencies of Aravakurichi, Sulur, Thiruparankundram and Ottapidaram, were accepted as valid by the Election Commission on Tuesday.
The EC has rejected 104 nomination papers. The last date for withdrawal of nomination ends on Thursday at 3 pm. According to the Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, arrangement has been made to webcast the polling in nearly 50 per cent of the polling booths in all the four Assembly constituencies. The remaining polling booths will come under the surveillance of the CCTV cameras and direct supervision of the micro observers.
The CEO said the EC would examine if there had been any violation of the model code of conduct if the Government Chief Whip S. Rajendran's complaint to Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, seeking to disqualify the party's three MLAs, for supporting AMMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran, was received. The TN Assembly Speaker on Tuesday issued notices to three AIADMK MLAs.
To a question, the CEO replied that the State government had sought permission to provide cash incentive to Gomathi Marimuthu who had won 800 m gold at the recently concluded Asian Athletics Championship in Doha. The issue is being considered by the Election Commission of India,
he said.
