DMK sets 2-day deadline for EC to decide on bypolls to 4 Assembly seats

In his representation submitted to Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner, DMK organising secretary RS Bharati said they were “thoroughly shocked to see the bipartisan way in which the EC is presently functioning in Tamil Nadu to favour the ruling BJP and AIADMK combine.”

The principal opposition party has threatened to “initiate appropriate proceedings for breaching the undertaken given by it,” if the Commission does not announce by-elections to four vacant Assembly seats within 48 hours.

Referring to the three-seat bypoll announced for Gujarat by EC, Bharati said, “Attitude and outlook of the EC varies vastly from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu. It appears that the electors and citizens of Tamil Nadu are given a step motherly treatment by the EC and are discriminated.”“When the EC shows much concern to ensure that no Assembly seat is vacant in Gujarat and by-elections are immediately announced, the EC doesn’t seem to have the same concern for the people of Tamil Nadu who have been without elected representatives in so far as these constituencies are concerned for more than a year,” the petition added.

“The EC swung into action with tearing hurry and immediately notified by-elections on March 13 to be held along with 26 Parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat. Subsequently, for Jamnagar Rural Assembly Constituency, immediately after the resignation of the sitting Congress MLA, the EC wasted no time and announced the by-elections immediately on March 14,” Bharati said.

He further said that the EC in its undertaking before the Supreme Court said it would conduct by-elections to three seats--Tiruparankundram, Aravakurichi and Ottapidaram constituencies within reasonable time? “Since the machinery and apparatus to conduct elections were already ready in Tamil Nadu, reasonable time could only be construed as time prescribed under the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 between the election notification and date of election which was 24 days. There is nothing which prevents the EC from announcing the by-elections within 48 hours,” the DMK Rajya Sabha MP added.