MADURAI: Filing of nomination papers for the by-election for Thiruparankundram Assembly segment will start on Monday. It’s for the second time in three years that a by-election is being held in the segment.
Two-time MLA SM Seenivelu of AIADMK had won from Thiruparankundram segment in the Assembly elections held in 2016. He was suffering from chronic kidney disease and suffered a stroke on May 18, 2016, a day before the election results were announced. He later died in a private hospital in Madurai on May 25, 2016, hours before the newly-elected MLAs took oath of office.
Following his death, the segment saw another by-election in November 2016 and three-time MLA AK Bose of AIADMK won by bagging 42,670 more votes than the runner-up - DMK candidate Dr P Saravanan. However, Bose, aged 69, passed away due to heart attack on August 2 last year.
The consecutive deaths of two MLAs from the constituency in two years sparked rumours of Thiruparankundram Assembly seat being ‘unlucky’ for AIADMK.
Passing orders on a case filed earlier by the runner-up candidate P Saravanan, the Madras High Court on March 22 held that the election of Bose was invalid, null and void in view of the procedural lapses in the acceptance of his nomination.
In his petition, Saravanan had argued that the Election Commission (EC) should not have accepted the thumb impressions of J Jayalalithaa, who was hospitalised at the time, on Forms A and B submitted by Bose, since the rules permit only signatures in ink.
Following the closure of the pending case, the Election Commission of India on April 9 announced that bypoll for the constituency would be held on May 19 along with by-elections for Sulur, Aravakurichi and Ottapidaram Assembly seats.
While DMK has fielded Saravanan as its candidate for the constituency again, AMMK is set to announce its candidate on Monday and AIADMK is expected to make its announcement this week.
EC had earlier announced that filing of nomination papers for the bypoll would commence on April 22 and would end on April 29. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 30 and May 2 is the last day for withdrawal of candidature.DMK president MK Stalin will campaign here on May 3.
Leaders to seek votes
DMK president MK Stalin will campaign here on May 3 and 4 while the General Secretary of AMMK TTV Dhinakaran will campaign on May 1, 2, 9 and 16