HC halts bypolls in 5 T.N. Assembly constituencies due to pending election petitions
The Madras High Court on Friday restrained the Election Commission (EC) from notifying byelections to five Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies (Tiruchi East, Perundurai, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, and Karur) until July 31. This interim order was issued in response to a PIL petition arguing that holding byelections before pending election petitions, challenging the victories of the resigned MLAs, could create an anomalous situation where constituencies might be represented by two individuals. The court granted respondents time until July 31 to file counter-affidavits, emphasizing the purity of the democratic process.
Key Points
- The Madras High Court has temporarily halted byelections in five T.N. Assembly constituencies.
- The decision stems from a PIL arguing that byelections should not precede the disposal of pending election petitions.
- The court highlighted the potential for an anomalous situation if both the original election challenge and a byelection result were valid.
- The Election Commission was given until July 31 to file counter-affidavits regarding the matter.
Exam Facts
- Madras High Court issued the interim order.
- The five constituencies are Tiruchi East, Perundurai, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, and Karur.
- The PIL was filed by K. Venkatachalapathy of Tirunelveli.
- The order was passed by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan.
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