TNCC president urges EC to hold byelections in 21 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and not to succumb to BJP pressure

CHENNAI: TNCC president K S Alagiri on Monday urged the Election Commission not to succumb to any kind of pressure from the BJP to postpone bypolls to 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu.
“The bypolls to the 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu should be held along with the Lok Sabha polls. If for some reason, the EC decides to postpone the assembly bypolls, then we will be forced to launch massive protests along with our allied parties in the state,” Alagiri said here.

In a hard-hitting statement, Alagiri said the BJP was increasingly facing opposition in the state and facing the stark possibility of not even winning a single Lok Sabha seat in the forthcoming elections.

“Hence, the BJP is forcing AIADMK for an alliance. The AIADMK is facing opposition from within over this alliance, with party’s district secretaries opposing the move saying that such an alliance will lead to electoral disaster,” Alagiri said.

However, the latter fears that the BJP would set upon the central investigative agencies on the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. “Hence, on its part, it has asked BJP to get the EC to postpone holding of bypolls on some pretext or the other, since it fears defeat, resulting in losing its government too,” he said.

He said the EC is an independent body and has always been above board in its decision. “However, off late, even this independent body has been seemingly acting on behalf of the BJP. If it does so again and postpones the bypolls, we will be forced to launch massive protests across the state,” Alagiri said.