Bye-Election to Pennagaram on March 27, 2010

Election Commission of India has announced the bye-election to Pennagaram Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on March 27, 2010. The casual vacancy in the State Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu from 83-Pennagaram AC in Dharmapuri district fell vacant due to death of the sitting member on 01-12-2009.

The Election Commission on 22nd December 2009 announced progamme for holding bye-election from the said constituency along with other bye-elections in Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra. The notification was issued on 26-12-2009 and the polling date was fixed on 20-01-2010. However, following representations from various political parties, the said notification for bye-election to Pennagaram was withdrawn vide notification dated 28-12-2009 as the Pongal festival and the Tamil New Year were falling during the campaign period.

For notifying the bye-election dates afresh in 2010, the Commission had to revise the electoral roll with reference to 1.1.2010 as the qualifying date. The exercise of revision of electoral roll was ordered and the final roll was to be published on 02-02-2010, when the Commission received complaints from several individuals and political parties that names of ineligible persons had been included and eligible persons deleted from the electoral roll.

In view of this, the Commission, on 01-02-2010, deferred the final publication of the electoral roll and simultaneously asked the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu to get the said complaints verified and to take appropriate action (either inclusion or deletion) after following due procedure. The Commission had also asked CEO, Tamil Nadu to direct District Election Officer, Dharmapuri to hold a meeting of the representatives of the political parties to discuss the issues.

On the basis of the reports of the CEO, Tamil Nadu and the DEO, Dharmapuri, the Commission allowed the final publication of electoral roll of 83-Pennagaram AC on 18.02.2010. While allowing the final publication, the Commission also directed the CEO to take all possible measures to include voters-applicants under continuous updation till the last day of nominations in the electoral roll as per extant provisions of law.

Now that the electoral roll is in position, the Commission keeping in view all relevant considerations has decided to hold bye-election from the said assembly constituency. The Issue of Notification will be on 03-03-2010 (Wednesday). The Last date for filing Nominations is 10-03-2010 (Wednesday) and the same will be scrutinized on 11-03-2010 (Thursday).

The Last date for withdrawal of Candidatures is 13-03-2010 (Saturday) and the polling date is 27-03-2010 (Saturday).

The votes will be counted on 30-03-2010 (Tuesday) and the election shall be completed before 02-04-2010 (Friday).

The Commission has decided to use EVMs in this bye-election in all the polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the poll is conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.

In consonance with past practice, the Commission has decided that the voter's identification shall be mandatory in the aforementioned bye-election at the time of poll. In order to ensure that no voter is deprived of his/her franchise, if his/her name figures in the Electoral Roll, separate instructions will be issued to allow additional documents for identification of voters at the time of poll in this bye-election.

The Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district in which the Assembly Constituency going for bye-election is included. The Model Code of Conduct shall be applicable to all candidates, political parties and the State Government. The Model Code of Conduct shall also be applicable to the Union Government as far as the said district is concerned.

Source : Equity Bulls

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