CHENNAI: Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo has said the Election Commission of India has to decide on holding by-elections to the four Assembly constituencies in the State.
At present, about 18 Assembly constituencies that fell vacant would go to polls on April 18 simultaneously with the Lok Sabha election. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that it would hold by-elections on vacant Assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time. Recently, another Assembly constituency Sulur fell vacant following the death of AIADMK MLA R. Kanagaraj.
On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK’s plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi Assembly constituencies. The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three Assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court.
The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, a AIADMK legislator who has joined the DMK.
Both the AIADMK and the DMK which are contesting all the 18 Assembly seats have launched a no holds barred attack on each other, hoping to win all the seats and improve their tally in the Assembly. Though the ruling AIADMK has formed alliance with the BJP, PMK, DMDK, NR Congress, TMC, PT and NJP, for the Lok Sabha election apportioning them 20 seats out of 40 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the party is contesting from all the 18 Assembly constituencies.
The DMK, which has forged alliance with the left parties, Congress, MDMK, IUML, VCK, KMDK and IJK, is also contesting from all the 18 seats. However, three AIADMK MLAs - E A Rathinasabapathi(Aranthangi constituency), A Prabu (Kallakuruchi) and VT Kalaiselvan (Virudhachalam) are openly supporting Dhinakaran. Two other allies - Thamimun Ansari (Manithaneya Jananayaka Katchi) and Karunaas (Mukkulathor Pulipadai) - who have contested with the AIADMK symbol, have opposed the AIADMK as it is allying with the BJP for Lok Sabha polls.
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