Bypolls to 18 Assembly seats will be held in six months, says CEC

“The Election Commission is bound to fill the vacancy within six months and we will take a decision after going through the report from Tamil Nadu Public Elections Department,” Rawat said.

Meanwhile, the Public Election Department officials in TN apprised the EC about the Madras HC order. 

 “As far as the 18 assembly seats are concerned there is a possibility for these seats to go for by-polls along with ensuing Lok Sabha polls scheduled next year,” a senior EC official told DTNext. 

However, in Thiruparankundram and Thanjavur Assembly seats (both vacant after demise of AIADMK MLA AK Bose and former TN CM M Karunanidhi), the bypolls have to be completed before February. Details of all 20 Assembly seats will be sent to the EC shortly, the official added.

It may be noted that EC had earlier accepted State Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan’s request not to conduct the bypolls for two vacant seats between November – December as it was the monsoon season in TN. 

The move was criticised by the Opposition which claimed the ruling AIADMK government was not ready to face the bypolls. In 2017, EC had conducted the RK Nagar by polls in December. According to sources, close to ten per cent of total voters in TN do not have an elected MLA for more than a year thanks to the prolonged court investigations.