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First time in electoral history of India, the Election Commission of India (ECI) based on reports of large scale distribution of money and gifts to elector by the candidates and political parties in two Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu has decided to rescind the notification and conduct elections afresh in due course of time.
After considering reports of Observers, Special teams of central observers, report of the special team of observers of Aravkurichi and Tanjavur Assembly constituencies and representations of contesting candidates of these two Assembly constituencies.
“The ECI is satisfied that the election process in the two constituencies Aravkurichi (134) and Thanjavur (174), because of inducing electors by candidates and political parties by offering money and other gifts to woo them in their favour, is seriously vitiated and can not be allowed to proceed and ought to be rescinded so that fresh elections may be conducted de novo in these two constituencies when the atmosphere becomes conducive to the holding of free and fair elections after a reasonable lapse of time,” an official said.
Revised schedule for these Assembly constituencies will be recommended by the ECI in due course of time.
The detail order of ECI is being uploaded on its website.
PTI adds :
Earlier, EC had on two occasions postponed polls to Aravkurichi and Tanjavur Assembly constituencies following reports of large scale distribution of money and gifts to voters by the candidates and political parties.
Initially, the polls were postponed from May 16 to May 23. On May 21, EC had decided to once again postpone the polls to June 13.
The DMK, meanwhile, today once again petitioned the Commission to hold polling in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur Assembly constituencies before June 6 and not on June 13 due to the Ramzan season and Rajya Sabha elections to Tamil Nadu.
Referring to a Madras High Court directive to EC to take a decision on the polling date for the two Assembly seats by May 27, DMK said it had not yet received response from EC to its request made earlier in this regard.
“We have not yet received any communication from you regarding our request, which is ordered to be considered preferably before May 27, i.e. yesterday. Hence we are submitting this reminder,” DMK Organisation Secretary R S Bharathi said in a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.
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