RS polls in March to start election season in state 

With the demise of two DMK MLAs, two Assembly seats have become vacant and the polls are likely within six months. Tamil Nadu without former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa will also face the general Assembly election in May 2021.

On Friday, the Election Commission of India notified Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly secretary as the returning officer and the assistant returning officer for the biennial elections to the council of states from Tamil Nadu. Nomination papers along with other documents can be filed before the Returning Officer at Secretariat, between 11 am and 3 pm on March 6, the notification read. The poll, if necessary, will be held on March 26 at the legislature committee room in the Secretariat, the communique read.

According to informed Secretariat sources, the district collectors are speeding up the pending civic and infrastructure works as the State Election Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule by the end of March inviting model code of conduct. The local bodies, including the Chennai Corporation have started conducting all-party meetings and verification of the draft voters’ rolls. As per the Election Commission of India norms, the Assembly department must notify vacancies of two MLAs (KPP Samy – Tiruvottiyur and S Kathavarayan Gudiyattam) and after the notification, the vacant posts should be filed within six months, sources said.

The by-elections will witness a keen fight between the AIADMK and DMK as this will be the second Assembly by-poll after the Lok Sabha polls. The DMK, which is out of power for nine years in the state will be under political pressure to win both the seats ahead of the next year Assembly elections in 2021.

The AIADMK, which is already under pressure after losing by-polls in the absence of charismatic Jayalalithaa will have to work on its strategies to wrest the seat from the Opposition.