The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Deprival of Pudukottai Lok Sabha constituency angers chamber

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Saturday, Apr 18, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Deprival of Pudukottai Lok Sabha constituency angers chamber

Staff Reporter

Constituency had existed since the first general elections in 1952
Panel formed to prevail upon voters against exercising franchise

PUDUKOTTAI: Elimination of Pudukottai parliamentary constituency has enraged the Pudukottai District Chamber of Commerce into creating awareness among the public in the erstwhile Assembly segments of the constituency on exercising the option of Rule 49-O whereby the elector can decide not to vote by following a procedure.

The Rule 49-O states: “If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.”

Despite several protests including bandhs and hunger strikes by various organisations, the elimination of the constituency due to the delimitation exercise of the Election Commission could not be reversed. The case was taken to the Madras High Court and the matter remains inconclusive.

The move of the Chamber is in keeping with the decision of the Parliamentary Retrieval Committee not to vote for any candidate until the constituency is restored to the people of Pudukkottai, Chamber president A. Kasiviswanathan said.

The Chamber has formed a committee headed by its joint secretary, R. Sampat Kumar, to carry out the exercise of meeting voters and prevailing upon them not to vote.

The people in the district have been deprived of their constituency that existed since the first general elections in 1952; it is unfortunate that Pudukottai has been singled out for removal out of the 39 parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu, said Mr. R. Ramaiah, president of the Pudukkottai District Consumer Rights’ Protection Association.

The parliamentary constituency comprising the contiguous assembly segments of Pudukottai, Alangudi, Thirumayam, Kulathur, Aranthangi and Gandarvakottai was compact. The delimitation committee has wreaked havoc by apportioning Aranthangi to the faraway Ramanathapuram Parliamentary constituency beyond the neighbouring Sivaganga district. Likewise, Kulathur has been renamed as Viralimalai and attached to distant Karur Parliamentary constituency bypassing the adjoining Tiruchi district, Mr. Ramaiah pointed out, observing that for the people of Pudukottai, the delimitation process was a thoughtless and arbitrary mutilation of the parliamentary constituency. It was because of the abolition of the constituency that the sitting MP S. Regupathy failed to secure a nomination. In the most backward district, where there is no industry worth its name and agriculture is in a shambles, the loss of the historical parliamentary constituency has left the people high and dry, said Mr. Ramiah.

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