Notice to EC, Dravidian parties on nominees

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, before which the PIL filed by one S Rajendran of Karur district came up for hearing, ordered notice to EC returnable within two weeks. The bench also issued notice to the AIADMK and DMK. 

Rajendran had submitted that the May 16 poll to Aravakurichi constituency was cancelled due to large-scale corrupt practices allegedly adopted by the candidates V Senthil Balaji of AIADMK and KC Palanisamy of DMK. 

He had said the Election Commission’s May 14 order extensively considered the unethical, undemocratic and unprecedented corrupt practices indulged in by candidates from both the parties and concluded that all moneys seized and gifts recovered in the constituency were meant for distribution to electors in the form of illegal inducement. 

The plea also sought for an interim direction to reject the nomination of Senthil Balaji and Palaniswamy as it would result in permitting them to play fraud on the people and the Constitution yet again. He also claimed that allowing them to contest would tantamount to ‘helping the fence eat the crops.’ 

The petitioner also stated that his representation to the EC and other election officials on October 18 to reject their nomination had failed to evoke any response. 

The bench while posting the case to November 7 for further hearing also directed the High Court registry to tag another PIL with an identical plea seeking to collect all the expenses incurred in the run up to the election from both these candidates. 

It may be noted that along with Aravakurichi, the Election Commission had also cancelled polls in Thanjavur in May last just before the day of polling due to corrupt practices of the candidates.