EC skips Tamil Nadu bypoll schedule;  dates likely after monsoon

CHENNAI: The much-expected notification for the by-elections to Thirupparankundram and Thiruvarur Assembly constituencies is likely to be announced after the north-east monsoon.

Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat on Saturday said the schedule for the by-election to these constituencies would be announced on a later date since the Tamil Nadu government had cited forecasts about cyclones and very heavy rain during the coming northeast monsoon as reasons for deferring the announcement of schedule. The CEC said this at Delhi while announcing the poll dates for five State Assemblies.

Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Girija Vaidyanathan, in her communication to the EC said “The meteorological department has predicted that the seasonal rainfall for Tamil Nadu is likely to be above normal (i.e., 112 per cent of the long period average).  Moreover, during the last three years, Tamil Nadu had faced natural calamities due to excess rainfall and cyclones which form during the period from October to December throughout the State.  

“Thiruvarur constituency which falls in the delta area is likely to be affected by heavy rain during this period.  As the State machinery would be fully mobilised to handle these contingencies, it is not advisable to notify by-elections during this period,” she added.

In Thirupparankundram constituency, a case has been filed in the Madras High Court by DMK candidate P Saravanan who lost the election, questioning the validity of the nomination filed by the winning AIADMK candidate, AK Bose, since deceased.

“In the pending case, Saravanan filed a petition to declare him as the elected candidate and the case posted for final arguments on October 23. At this juncture, notifying the by-election may be perceived to be an attempt to overreach the powers of the High Court and therefore it would not be advisable, till the matter is settled by the HC,” the chief secretary added.

Meanwhile, CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan said the reasons by EC for not announcing the election schedule was improper. Condemning the delay in announcing the schedule for the by-elections, he said the commission should announce the schedule for by-elections and conduct them in a free and fair manner.

However, PR Pandian, president, All Farmers Associations’ Coordination Committee, earlier in the day, requested EC not to announce the schedule for by-election to these constituencies considering the possible vagaries of northeast monsoon which is starting 20 days in advance of the normal date and the forecast of 12 per cent more rains.  Delta areas will be affected during the monsoon and attention of all political parties as well as the State government would be only on elections. Hence, EC should postpone the bypoll till December, he appealed.

Already, major political parties, including AIADMK and DMK, have started preliminary works for facing bypolls.

More rains this time
PR Pandian, president, All Farmers Associations’ Coordination Committee, earlier in the day, requested EC not to announce the schedule for by-election to these constituencies considering the possible vagaries of northeast monsoon which is starting 20 days in advance of the normal date and the forecast of 12 per cent more rains. Delta areas will be affected during the monsoon and attention of all political parties as well as the government would be only on elections, he said.

112 per cent
of the long period average is forecast for Tamil Nadu  by the Indian Meteorological Department, said Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Girija Vaidyanathan, in her communication to the Election Commission