Polls in Thanjavur, Aravakurichi put off by 3 weeks: EC

Chennai

As the vacation bench comprising Justice K Kalyanasundaram and Justice D Krishnakumar started hearing a batch of five election petitions including that of the PMK candidate in Aravakurichi and BJP candidate in Thanjavur seeking to stay the elections, ECI’s counsel submitted that in a bid to assess the situation and also give the candidates an opportunity to make representations before the commission, the polls are being postponed by three weeks.

Recording ECI’s submission, the judges adjourned the case and posted it to be taken up after vacation. The pleas by the PMK and BJP candidate seeking to stay the elections largely dwelt on the aspect that mere postponing the elections would not ensure that the candidates who had resorted to bribing the voters would not do the same again.

They also submitted that holding the elections immediately after the results would influence the voters to support the party that had won making a mockery of the election process. However, another crucial contention revolved around the lack of action against the candidates who had indulged in cash for votes, causing the ECI to postpone elections in both the constituencies at the first place.

Considering the order passed by the EC postponing the elections that revealed how democracy was being ruined by money power, the pleas insisted the candidates who had indulged in bribing voters should not be allowed to contest.

Stalin cancels Thanjavur campaign

DMK treasurer MK Stalin who was scheduled to campaign in Thanjavur for the party candidate on Friday, cancelled it after the polls to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur seats were postponed again by the EC. Condemning ECI for postponing polls at these two constituencies, DMK president M Karunanidhi threatened to lead an agitation if EC does not conduct polls in the constituencies immediately.