DMK moves SC for holding by-polls to three vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear DMK's plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to issue a notification for by-elections to three vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khana said it will hear the petition on March 15. The party has sought the direction to the poll panel to notify by-polls for the Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies. Senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for the DMK, said the Election Commission has notified by-polls for 18 of the 21 vacant seats, which are to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls, in the state. He said a notification should also issued for by-polls to the remaining three seats in Tamil Nadu. The party has also made a representation to the poll panel for holding by-polls to the three seats. Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo had on Sunday said by-polls are not scheduled for the Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi constituencies as election petitions are pending in the Madras High Court. The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK. Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year. Petitions challenging their elections are pending in the Madras High Court.