Pudukottai by-election on June 12
Hours before the Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-election to the Pudukottai Assembly constituency along with 25 other constituencies in different States and a Parliamentary constituency in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) named Karthik V.R. Thondaiman as its candidate. Polling will take place on June 12 and the counting of votes on June 15.
Notification
The notification for the by-election will be issued on May 18, the day on which filing of nominations will also begin. The nominations will be scrutinised on May 26.
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 28, according to the schedule prepared by the Commission.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of Communist Party of India MLA S.P. Muthukumaran, who was killed in a road accident on April 1. In the 2011 Assembly elections, the CPI won the seat with AIADMK support.
The candidature of Mr. Karthik Thondaiman, Pudukottai Municipal Chairman, was announced in a release issued by AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Hailing from the Thondaiman family, which ruled the erstwhile Pudukottai princely state, the 42-year-old Mr. Karthik Thondaiman is the district MGR Youth Wing leader.
He is the son of Rajakumar Vijayaragunatha Thondaiman, who was elected to the Assembly from the constituency in 1967, 1977 and 1980 on Congress ticket.
Last year, the junior Thondaiman was elected Chairman of the Pudukottai Municipality, defeating the DMK nominee by a margin of 12,673 votes.
By announcing Mr. Thondaiman's candidature, Ms. Jayalalithaa took the lead again, as she did for the Sankarankovil by-election, in naming her party's nominee well ahead of others.
The total number of electors in Pudukottai is 1,92,314, of whom men account for 96,087 and women, 96,227.
Model code
With the by-election schedule announced, the District Collector has been advised to implement the model code of conduct, according to Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar.
In a release, the CEO stated that the free distribution of goods and articles could not be done under government schemes.
A couple of weeks ago, the Chief Minister had announced in the Assembly a Rs.50-crore special development package for Pudukottai Municipality to mark of its 100th anniversary.
On Tuesday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi had said that the government had begun election work in the constituency.
The CPI's State Executive will meet on Friday to decide the further course of action, C. Mahendran, assistant secretary, said.
Keywords: Pudukottai Assembly bypolls
I don't think one can stop any form of election in a democracy. Eventhough we knows the outcome of the election result which is going to be the victory for the ruling party nothing much we could do. People can turn is large numbers and defeat the ruling party to teach them alesson that Tamilians can't be bought for money, but the chance of that happening is remote . The only benefit will be atleast 100 odd crores of illgoten wealth of the political parties will be delivered to public in this by election. Long live Dravidan politics and Indian (mockery) democracy.
Absolutely correct view from Viswakarman. But, sadly such gestures had never happened in our State and will ever heppen in the near or distant future. Now, the game started, gears changed, We will be seeing some vigorous campainging of the local parties as usual and again the same past bye elections results will be witnessed. And there will be some major celeberation at the party headquarter etc by the utter foolish cadres. And a stupid and bias opinion debates will be teleceasted at the Channel before and after the election. Idea: EC should have an aboslute power to take the decision if there is a bye election as necessiated in this constituency. I wish it will happen. People's money is wasted with abosultely fanatic madness. We do not have a proper education, unlimited power, safe shelter, good sanitation, hygenic food, clean water, civic roads, orderly traffic system, law and order, clean law makers, service minded medical care, etc etc. Do we need this election?
Agree with he views of Ken sundaram above.
Contesting the election to lose deposit and causing unnecessary hardships to people and the government.All political parties should persuade the ruling AIADMK to allot the seat again to the CPI caused due to death of sitting member.They should express their solidarity with the CPI on compassionate and humanitarian grounds and refrain from contesting on party lines.A healthy and good precedent should be set in TN, that any seat cause vacant due to death,that seat should go to the same party on humanitarian consideration and good social etiquette.Amma will be doing a great service if she generously reallot the seat to the CPI and all political parties should follow a healthy precedent in this regard.Previous two vacancies caused by death of AIADMK sitting members rightly gone to the same AIADMK.The third one caused by death,should naturally go the CPI as a special consideration and as a respect to the people who elected the deceased member.
Here is my suggestion to the DMK, MDMK, DMDK and other party leaders
Please do not contest this by-election. You would lose your deposit. So let this AIADMK candidate be elected un-contested and
thus save money for the election- expenditure by the government and use this money for a good cause.
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