Don’t hold bypolls to 18 seats immediately, Chief Secretary tells EC

Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan has requested the Election Commission (EC) not to hold byelections to 18 Assembly constituencies immediately.

She also urged the EC not to hold the byeleciton to Tiruvarur constituency, where a vacancy was triggered in the wake of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s death.

In her letter dated December 3, the contents of which were made public through the Commission’s order of January 6, she referred to the impact of Cyclone Gaja on 12 districts. Apparently, no other reason was cited in the letter, as recorded by the EC’s order.

Of the 18 constituencies where byelections are due, Thanjavur alone forms part of the four “cyclone affected” districts, besides the Kodaikanal division of Dindigul district. The designation of Thanjavur as “cyclone affected” along with Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai was made made by the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department, in its order of December 10, 2018. The vacancies in the 18 constituencies had arisen following the disqualification of legislators owing allegiance to founder of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam T.T.V. Dhinakaran.

Other categories

Two other categories, “moderately affected” and “mildly affected”, were mentioned in the order.

Four other constituencies — Nilakottai (Dindigul district), Aravakurichi (Karur), Manamadurai (Sivaganga) and Paramakudi (Ramanathapuram) — come under “mildly-affected” parts of the State.

In her letter to the EC, Ms. Vaidyanathan explained how Gaja had “severely affected” 12 districts and caused extensive damage to standing crops and livelihoods of people in the districts.