The Election Commission announced on Thursday that the by-election to the Sankarankoil Assembly constituency will take place on March 18.
This will be the first test for the ruling AIADMK's popularity since it drew flak from the entire opposition for raising bus fares and milk prices.
The model code of conduct comes immediately into force in Tirunelveli district, where the constituency is located, and parties just have five days before nominations open on February 22. The ruling party has started its preparations early by naming its candidate – S. Muthuselvi, chairperson of the Sankarankoil municipality – for the Sankarankoil reserved seat, which fell vacant following the death of C. Karuppasamy, Minister without portfolio, on October 22.
Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa also formed a 34-member panel, including as many as 26 Ministers, to manage the campaign.
This is the second by-poll since the May 2011 Assembly election, with the first one taking place in Tiruchi West, to fill the vacancy caused by the tragic death of Mariam Pichai, who was killed in an accident within days of being sworn in Minister. The by-election was won by M Paranjothi (AIADMK) defeating former Minister K.N. Nehru of the DMK.
The AIADMK swept the local body elections held in October, but hefty increase in bus fares and milk prices announced after the polls, along with steps being taken to get power tariff steeply revised through an application to the electricity regulator, led to comments by the opposition that the outcome could have been different had these hikes been announced earlier.
Ms. Jayalalithaa threw an open challenge to the Leader of the Opposition Vijayakant in the Assembly whether his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), her party's principal ally in the last general election, was prepared to take on the AIADMK on its own in the Sankarankoil by-poll.
The DMDK is expected to contest the seat. The DMK, which had unsuccessfully contested the seat in the 2011 elections, has invited applications from aspirants for the seat. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has announced that it will contest the seat.
