Virus active, chances dim for bypolls to 2 seats in Chennai

Chennai

Both Tiruvottriyur Assembly constituency and the Chepauk - Triplicane constituency that became vacant early this week due to the demise of J Anbazhagan are coronavirus hotspots, explained a senior official.

“With Tamil Nadu being the second-most affected state in the country, the conduct of bypolls to three seats will be a call by the Election Commission of India,” said another public election department official. The usual practice is to hold bypolls within six months after the seats become vacant, but now the situation is completely different as the COVID-19 situation setting a new precedence, the official said. Now with just nine months to go for the state Assembly elections, the bypoll to Chepauk-Triplicane may be deferred or conducted along with the general elections. In the case of Tiruvottriyur and Gudiyattam, the Election Commission will take a call. Bypolls are also due in West Bengal and we are waiting for the EC communication in this regard, the official told DT Next.

“The untimely demise of DMK MLA has left the Opposition party down by three MLAs and the situation remains grim due to COVID-19 spread, no party will be ready for the bypolls,” said an AIADMK MLA admitting that the recent death of DMK MLA and another AIADMK MLA K Palani representing Sriperumbudur testing positive for coronavirus has rattled the local politicians. Both the parties are in a state of shock as few ward secretaries have also tested positive for the virus, the legislator said.

The state Assembly department had already notified Gudiyatham and Tiruvottriyur seats as vacant after the demise of DMK legislators S Kathavarayan and KPP Samy. Both the MLAs died in February and the bypolls as per regular practice should be completed within August, as per the six-month window period. But, now with the corona spread peaking up in the state, the chances of bypolls are remote, the official sources said adding that for Chepauk-Triplicane, the window period will be by December 2020.

Tamil Nadu with 234 Assembly seats will step into the poll mood by the end of this year, as the general Assembly elections are due in May 2021 leaving just nine months for the regional parties to fight it out. The ruling AIADMK alliance now has 125 members, including the Speaker and DMK alliance with Congress has 105 MLAs. Three seats are now vacant and an independent seat represented by TTV Dhinakaran. The simple majority needed to form the government is 117.