Chennai: Election Commission of India (ECI) hardly has a month to conduct the bypolls for three vacant Assembly seats, Thanjavur, Aravakurichi and Thiruparankundram in Tamil Nadu, and no preparatory work has begun, so far.
“If bypolls to vacant seats are not conducted within six months from the date of vacancy, that is on or before November 16, the ECI will be under trouble for not adhering to the constitutional practice,” an informed official source said adding that ECI through its independent resources and network has been investigating the Tamil Nadu May 16 poll episode for months on issues like largescale cash seizures and failure of the officials to seize the cash for votes.
The investigation is also a reason for the ECI for not notifying the bypoll dates.
In case of Thiruparankundram, the state notified the demise of its MLA S. M. Seenivel on May 30 and in this case, the six months time-frame will be till November end.
However the general constitutional practice is to hold elections within six months.
Official communiqué has already been sent to ECI explaining the situation, but the commission, which had smelled something fishy in the two TN assembly seats, is in no hurry for conducting the bypolls, the source added.
When asked about the provisions available to the ECI for delaying the bypolls, former chief electoral officer Naresh Gupta said that the general practice is to conduct the elections for any vacant seat within six months, from the time of notification.
In this case the matter is delayed and the commission still has a window period.
If elections are not conducted within the stipulated time, the ECI should give valid reasons to the government of India for not holding the elections.
After that there is no specific deadline or rules for conducting elections as the subject of conducting elections lies within the purview of Election commission, the officer added.
