The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the much-awaited schedule for General Elections 2019 that will be held in 7 phases across all 543 Parliamentary seats, starting from April 11 to May 19. Results for the crucial Lok Sabha Polls will be announced on May 23 four days after the 7th phase of voting.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer, Satyabrata Sahoo on Sunday also announced dates for by-elections for 18 out 21 vacant seats in the state. The General Elections in the state along with Puducherry will be done in a single phase of voting on April 18.
As per the Poll Panel, Candidates can file nominations from March 19 and March 26, While The last date to withdraw nominations is March 29. The state will poll on April 18 to elect a parliamentarian while by-elections in 18 assembly seats are also slated to take place on same day.
However, byelections are slated for 21 vacant assembly seats but the Poll body had on Sunday announced By-elections in 18 seats leaving 3 Assembly Seats – Ottapidaram, Aravakurichi and Tirupparamkundram as they are bound by litigation and is pending in the court.
The 18 Assembly Seats that are slated for by-elections are – Poonamallee, Perambur, Tiruporur, Sholinghur, Gudiyatham, Ambur, Hosur, Pappireddipapatti, Harur, Nilakkottai, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Manamadurai, Andipatti, Periyakulam, Sattur, Paramakudi and Vilathikulam.
READ: After Opting Out of Lok Sabha Poll Race, Rajnikanth Says ‘No’ for Tamil Nadu State By-Elections
Out of all 18 seats, the by-polls in 16 seats were necessitated after the disqualification of the sitting MLAs under the anti-defection law. While in the other two seats, Tiruvarur seat has been necessitated by the death of sitting member and late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi while the Hosur seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Minister K Balakrishna Reddy after his conviction by a court in over a decades-old criminal case.
While the two most powerful parties in the state – AIADMK and DMK had already entered into a poll pact with BJP and Congress respectively. The AIADMK led alliance have – AIADMK, BJP, PMK, KMDK, Puthiya Neethi Katchi and NR Congress who will not only back them in general elections but also in by-elections.
While DMK apart from Congress has finalized terms with 6 parties. DMK will lead a Mega Opposition coalition in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry comprising – Congress, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK, VCK, IUML, KMDK and IJK.
Rajnikanth had recently opted out of Lok Sabha Polls and by-elections of 21 seats of Tamil Nadu to focus on 2021 Tamil Nadu State Polls.
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