The by-election to the Srirangam Assembly constituency, necessitated by the conviction of the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, in a corruption case in September, will take place on February 13.
This will be the sixth by-poll in the State since the constitution of the present Assembly in May 2011.
On Monday, the Election Commission made the announcement on the by-election schedule.
Nominations will be accepted from January 19-27 and votes will be counted on February 16.
Subsequent to a Bengaluru special court holding Ms. Jayalalithaa guilty, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat, in November, issued a notification declaring that she stood disqualified from her membership and the seat fell vacant since September 27, the date of the judgment.
As per the electoral roll released last week, the Srirangam constituency has a strength of about 2.7 lakh voters, of whom women account for 1,37,096; men – 1,33,020 and transgender - 13.
A release from Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Saxena said the model code of conduct came into force with immediate effect in the districts of Tiruchi and Pudukottai in which the whole or any part of the constituency was included.
Between October 2011 and April 2014, by-polls to the assembly constituencies of Tiruchi (West), Sankarankoil, Pudukottai, Yercaud and Alandur were held. In all of them, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) romped home.
With the AIADMK going through a rough patch without Jayalalithaa in the Chief Minister’s seat, the by-poll is expected to be a crucial political event.
While the BJP said it would contest the by-election, it is unclear whether the PMK and DMDK, which fought the Lok Sabha polls last year along with the BJP, would support the national party.
The DMK too is likely to enter the fray.
Nominations will be accepted from January 19-27 and votes will be counted on February 16
