ECI may conduct Vikravandi by-poll with LS polls 7th phase: Sources

CHENNAI: The Vikravandi bye-election could be conducted along with the last phase (7th phase) of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on June 1, sources said. They added that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to announce notifications for both by May 7.

The bye-poll for the Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu was necessitated due to the demise of DMK MLA N Pugazhenthi on April 6.

Explaining the ECI's opinion, TN poll officials said, "After considering the bye-poll expenditure and the security measures involved, the ECI has come to the opinion that conducting the bye-poll on June 1 along with the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls would reduce the overall expenditure. The notification for Vikravandi AC bye-poll would come out when the notification for phase seven of the LS polls is announced."

They added that the concerned District Election Officer and the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer could easily conduct the bye-poll at any time as the Model Code of Conduct was still in force in the state.

Elections for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies.

N Pugazhenthi, the former DMK MLA from Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district, had died following a brief illness on April 6. He was 71.

Hailing from Athiyur Thiruvadi near Sankarapuram, Pugazhenthi started his political career in 1973, and served in various positions in the DMK's Villupuram district unit.

He lost the 2019 bye-election to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency to AIADMK's Mutamizhselvan by a margin of 44,924 votes.

However, in the 2021 Assembly elections, he managed to wrest the seat from the AIADMK.

Meanwhile, PMK founder S Ramadoss condemned the ECI for taking 'arbitrary decisions' and pointed out that the state has been in the throes of a heat-wave like situation and that the Kathiri heat-wave period would begin on May 4. He said the poll body should reconsider if it were planning to hold the bypoll on June 1 as speculated as campaigning during peak summer would take a toll on the health of all cadre.