Tiruvarur bypoll: HC asks if Centre was consulted

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reply whether the commission had consulted the Union Government before rescinding the notification issued by it for conducting by-election in Tiruvarur constituency.

The direction was given on a public interest litigation filed by one Vedha alias Dhamodharan, a real estate agent, challenging the order passed by the commission on January 6, to cancel the scheduled by-election for the constituency.

Vedha submitted that the ECI has no power to cancel the by-election without consulting the Central Government and sought for a direction to quash the cancellation order. 
A bench comprising Justices KK Sasidharan and PD Audikesavalu directed the Chief Election Commissioner to make a statement whether the commission consulted the Central government before cancelling the by-election, at the next hearing on January 30. 

The ECI had cancelled the by-election scheduled to be conducted on January 28 for the Tiruvarur assembly seat.