The Election Commission has named K. Meenatchi, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Karur, as Returning Officer of Aravakurichi by-poll, which is scheduled for May 19.
She will function at the taluk office in Aravakurichi. A. Eswaran, Tashildar, Aravakurichi, and M. Amuthu, Tashildar (Social Security Scheme), will be Assistant Returning Officers.
Filing of nomination for the by-poll will begin on Monday and April 29 will be the last date for filing of nomination.
According to T. Anbalagan, Collector cum District Election Officer, scrutiny of nomination will take place on April 30. May 2 will the last date for withdrawing nomination. Counting will be conducted on May 23.
He said that candidates could submit the nomination papers between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. They should follow the instructions of the Election Commission while submitting nomination papers.
Meanwhile, the DMK, which has fielded former Minister V. Senthil Balaji for the by-poll, has begun the groundwork to garner votes. Shortly after the end of polling for the Lok Sabha election, Mr. Senthil Balaji, one among 18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs, who is seeking re-election from Aravakurichi on a DMK ticket, has begun electioneering.
He in the fray for the third time in the constituency within three years. The election to the constituency was rescinded along with the Thanjavur constituency in May 2016 on the charge of large-scale distribution of money to voters. The Election Commission chose to conduct the election in November. On both the occasions, Mr. Senthil Balaji contested on a AIADMK ticket. He defeated DMK nominee K.C. Palaniswami with a comfortable margin in the election held in November 2016.
Mr. Senthil Balaji, who had taken sides with TTV Dhinakaran after the demise of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, was one of the founding members of AMMK. But he quit the party only to join the DMK, which has nominated him in Aravakuruchi. Accompanied by party seniors, Mr. Senthil Balaji is busy conducting party workers’ meetings.
Addressing a meeting at K. Paramathi, I. Periasamy, deputy general secretary of DMK, said the AIADMK candidates would be defeated in all 18 Assembly constituencies where by-polls were held. The DMK would also defeat the AIADMK in the remaining 4 Assembly constituencies, where by-poll would be held on May 19.
The AIADMK, which is yet to announce its candidates for four Assembly constituencies, is expected to announce its candidates in a few days. However, led by Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, who is also Karur district secretary of AIADMK, has begun preparatory works in Aravakurichi. The AIADMK is expected to depute half-a-dozen Ministers for election works in Aravakurichi.
Jothimani’s grouse
Meanwhile, Congress candidate for the Karur Lok Sabha constituency, S. Jothimani, who inspected the security arrangements at M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering, where Electronic Voting Machines were kept in a strong room, expressed dissatisfaction over the security arrangements there.
She said that only a handful of police personnel were posted to man the strong room and it was not enough. The election officials have been discriminating her since filing of nominations. She had taken up the matter of “insufficient security” with the Election Commission.
