MADURAI: An advocate practising in the Madras High Court lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) through mail on Monday, seeking to debar two bypoll candidates fielded by the TVK.
He alleged that the candidates K Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P Sathyabama (Dharapuram) exceeded the Rs 40-lakh election expenditure limit.
Petitioner S M P Amalan from Madurai district said that during CM C Joseph Vijay’s campaign for the by-elections, metal barricades were put up for nearly 100 kilometres.
The expenditure for installing barricades in the two constituencies would itself have crossed a few crores of rupees, exceeding the maximum expenditure limit for a candidate, the petitioner alleged.
Citing the rate chart fixed by the Election Commission of India for such expenses, he claimed that this amounts to a violation of election norms that can attract their debarment from contesting. He demanded that the ECI take immediate action.