The Hindu : New Delhi News : Assembly by-elections not to be clubbed with Lok Sabha polls

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Assembly by-elections not to be clubbed with Lok Sabha polls

J Balaji

“Voters will be confused as they have to visit different booths for voting due
to change in jurisdiction of constituencies”

NEW DELHI: Due to hindrance in segregating voters, the Election Commission is not in a position to club Assembly by-elections in three constituencies in Tamil Nadu along with May 13 Lok Sabha elections.

Though there is sufficient time as the notification for the Lok Sabha poll has to be issued only on April 17, voters will be confused if the Assembly by-polls in Ilayankudi (Sivaganga district), Thondamuthur (Coimbatore) and Cumbum (Theni), are clubbed with the Lok Sabha elections, as they have to visit different booths for voting due to change in jurisdiction of the constituencies, say EC sources here.

“This is why we held by-election to the Thirumangalam Assembly constituency in the State well before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls,” says an official.

The vacancies were caused by the resignation of the sitting MLAs. While R.S. Raja Kannappan, who was elected on a DMK ticket from Ilayankudi, quit his membership on February 25 after he joined the AIADMK, M. Kannappan and N. Ramakrishnan, elected on MDMK tickets from Thondamuthur and Cumbum, resigned on March 11 and 28.

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