CHENNAI: A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court for a directive to the Chief Election Commissioner to hold an election in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, which was countermanded following large-scale bribing in April last.The seat fell vacant following the death of AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016.
In his PIL, K K Ramesh of Madurai submitted that the by-election was cancelled because of the failure of the election commission’s machinery to control cash for vote.As per the Representation of the People Act, if an elected member died, the by-election should be conducted within six months. He made a representation on July 3 in this regard to EC, which did not evoke any response. Hence the present petition, he said.