Bypolls to 2 Assembly seats in TN on Oct 21

While the Vikravandi assembly seat became vacant following the death of DMK legislator K Rathamani in June, the Nanguneri seat fell vacant after the resignation of Congress MLA H Vasanthakumar after he was elected from the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency in May, this year.

According to the poll schedule, the nomination for the byelection will start on September 23. The last date for submission of nominations is September 30 and papers can be withdrawn up to October 3. The scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on October 1. Both the constituencies will go for voting on October 21 and the counting of votes will be taken up on October 24, the EC notification said.

TN chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo directed the district administration of Villupuram under which Vikravandi seat comes and Tirunelveli comprising Nanguneri constituency to implement the model code of conduct. Collectors of the two districts were also asked to submit the functioning of static surveillance teams and special squads to enforce model code of conduct. District collectors also appointed election returning officers to facilitate the bypolls.

In the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly the ruling AIADMK at present has 123 members and the DMK-led alliance has 107 members.

 Filing of nominations starts on September 23

 Last date for submission of nominations is September 30

 Papers can be withdrawn till October 3

 Scrutiny of nominations on October 1

 Voting on October 21

 Counting on October 24

DMK and ally Congress have put to rest all speculations over Nanguneri bypoll on Sunday after they formalised a deal for the two-seat by poll. DMK has given up its interest on Congress-held Nanguneri Assembly segment would contest only in Vikravandi.

“It has been decided that DMK will contest in Vikravandi and Congress in Nanguneri in TN and Kamarajar Nagar in Puducherry,” DMK president M K Stalin told reporters after a discussion with state TNCC president K S Alagiri who visited Anna Arivalayam after the ECI announced the bypoll schedule. 

The DMK, which deferred its Oct 6 general council meet in view of the bypoll was understood to have blinked, ostensibly, to avoid offending the national ally, which was already unhappy over the Dravidian major calling off a scheduled anti-Hindi (imposition) protest targeting the BJP after meeting the state governor. 

Congress sources privy to the development revealed that the cadre were unhappy over ‘sacrificing’ Sholinghur to DMK earlier and giving up a seat like Nanguneri, where the party has some real support. “Even if the DMK had convinced our leadership and fielded its candidate there, no Congressman would have worked for the election. The DMK leadership which is already upset over the Hindi stir, postponement is wary of the ground reality. Hence, it has obliged us,” said a Congress leader.

The ruling AIADMK on Saturday invited applications from those aspiring to contest in the Vikravandi and Nanguneri bypolls. 

The AIADMK, which formed a mega alliance for the recent Lok Sabha polls, has decided to contest in both the constituencies.

AIADMK convenor and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam and joint convenor and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in a statement urged the cadre to gear up for the bypolls. A statement from the party headquarters said that party workers can get the forms, which will be issued till September 23, from party headquarters after depositing cash of Rs 25,000.

In a related development, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran announced that the party would not contest in the bypolls.