Chennai sources stated that after taking a serious view of the Election Commission of India (EC) ordering bye-elections along with the Lok Sabha polls to only 18 of the 21 Assembly seats lying vacant, the DMK president, M K Stalin had accused the poll body with “ulterior motives” in withholding the bye-polls for three constituencies of Ottapidaram, Aravakuruchi and Thiruparankundram.
Even though pending election petitions in courts regarding the three constituencies are cited for non-inclusion in the list of bye-polls announced by the EC on Sunday, Mr. Stalin said asked why the EC had withheld elections to the three Assembly segments when there was no specific court stay in any of those pending cases. Furthermore on the people of Madurai demanding a change in the poll date from April 18 in view of the Meenakshi Amman temple's 'Chithirai festival' falling on that day, Mr. Stalin said the EC should consider their plea.
Moreover on the identification of constituencies with allies, Mr. Stalin said barring the Congress and the VCK, which have been allotted ten and two Lok Sabha seats respectively, identification of constituencies for all the other allies have been finalized and they include the CPI, CPI(M) IUML, MDMK led by Vaiko, KNDK and IJK.
