: The Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice returnable in two weeks to the Election Commission of India (EC) on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to forbear the candidates of the AIADMK and the DMK from contesting in the November 19 polls in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency, in view of their “proved corrupt practices.”
The First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan passed the order on a PIL moved by S. Rajendran, a voter of Aravakurichi constituency. According to the petitioner, the EC and the income-tax department conducted inspection and raids at various places across the 234 Assembly constituencies in the State during the May 2016 general elections.
At that time, based on complaints of large-scale electoral malpractices adopted by the candidates of the AIADMK (V. Senthil Balaji) and DMK (K.C. Palanisamy), the EC, along with the IT department, conducted raids in the houses of Mr. Palanisamy and his son at Chennai and Karur on May 10.
During the raids, the IT department seized cash to the tune of Rs. 2 crore and seven FIRs were registered. The petitioner also claimed that the EC has received over 40 complaints on distribution of money against the two candidates.
Mr. Rajendran added that in the various raids conducted by the I-T department in the houses of prominent people living in and around the Aravakurichi constituency over Rs. 100 crore was seized.
Following this, the EC had annulled the elections in Aravakurichi. The petitioner said the Frontline (a sister publication of The Hindu) had, in June 2016, published a detailed report on the role of money power in Tamil Nadu politics.
Now, the election to Aravakurichi constituency is being held on November 19 and the AIADMK and the DMK have re-nominated the very same candidates. Hence, he prayed the court to grant an interim order restraining the two candidates from participating in the election and also forbear the EC from assigning any registered symbols to the two candidates.
Petitioner had sought to prevent the parties’ candidates from contesting
in Aravakurichi
