Election Commission likely to take call on by-poll today

With the high-voltage campaign for the high-profile seat coming to a close by Monday evening, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha held a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhani and Special Chief Election Commissioner for RK Nagar by-poll Vikram Bathra. 

While Bathra left for New Delhi on Saturday evening, Lakhani went to the National capital on Sunday morning. 

Speculations were rife that the by-election might be cancelled following serious cash for votes allegations. It may be recalled that the ECI had cancelled the elections to Thanjavur and Aravakkurichi during the Assembly polls last year following similar complaints of bribing the voters and seizure of huge sums of money. 

Officials said that after the cash for votes scandal surfaced on Saturday following Opposition complaints and I-T raids at the premises of Health Minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar, the ECI called for an emergency meeting with its officials. Following the raids, Opposition party leaders, including DMK Working President MK Stalin, E Madhusudhanan, candidate of the rebel faction AIADMK (PTA), PMK Founder Dr S Ramadoss and CPI-M State Secretary G Ramakrishnan, have demanded that the EC should disqualify Dinakaran from contesting the by-poll. 

Demands were also made by some parties, including the BJP, that the elections should be deferred and that a CBI probe should be ordered into the seizure of money and documents during the I-T raids on the Minister’s premises.