The Madras High Court has ordered the Principal Secretary of the Election Commission of India, K.F. Wilfred, to depose before it in connection with a petition filed by P. Saravanan of the DMK, challenging the victory of AIADMK candidate A.K. Bose in the byelection to the Tirupparankundram Assembly segment last year.
The petition also questioned the authenticity of the thumb impression affixed by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the form authorising Mr. Bose as the candidate for byelection.
Mr. Bose defeated Mr. Saravanan by a sizeable margin in the byelection. Immediately after the declaration of the results, Mr. Saravanan filed a petition challenging the victory of his opponent on several grounds. He questioned the decision of the Election Commission to accept the left thumb impression of Ms. Jayalalithaa, affixed on documents filed in support of the nomination papers.
The DMK candidate said that the doctors attested Jayalalithaa’s left thumb impression on Forms A and B of the election documents — the core issue in the election petition.
He claimed that the same had materially affected his electoral prospects.
In this connection, the State Chief Electoral Officer, Rajesh Lakhoni, appeared before the court and gave evidence recently, as did Returning Officer R. Jeeva.
After recording the evidence, Justice P. Velmurugan, before whom the matter came up for hearing, ordered the issuance of summons to the Principal Secretary to depose with evidence on October 6.
