A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the symbol of “two leaves” to the AIADMK faction headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, the poll body on Friday announced that the much-awaited by-election to the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai will be held on December 21.
The results will be announced on December 24.
By-elections will also be held in the Assembly constituencies of Sikandra in Uttar Pradesh, Pakke-Kasang and Likbali in Arunachal Pradesh and Sabang in West Bengal, the same day. The Himachal constituencies are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, says a Commission’s press release.
The schedule of the bypolls states that the filing of nominations will begin on Monday, the day when a notification will be issued on the gazettes of the respective State governments. Nominations can be filed till December 4 and their scrutiny will take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is December 7.
Electronic voting machines (EVM) with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) will be used in all the constituencies. The model code of conduct comes into effect from Friday.
The R.K. Nagar seat fell vacant after the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year.
The ECI had cancelled by-election to the seat on April 12, based on evidence of large scale bribing of voters by then ruling AIADMK (Amma) among other parties and candidates.
On Tuesday, the Madras High Court asked the ECI to conduct bypoll to the seat before December 31.
