Madurai / Chennai: The Election Commission today informed the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court that the by-election in Tiruvarur Assembly constituency, which is lying vacant due to the demise of former Chief Minister and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, will be conducted before 7 February, 2019.

As far as Thiruparankundram is concerned, the EC said, a decision will be taken based on the verdict in a case which is currently pending in the court. Thiruparankundram is facing by-election due to the death of AIADMK member Bose.

Since 18 other constituencies in Tamilnadu are also lying vacant after the Madras High Court recently upheld the decision of Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal to disqualify legislators supporting TTV Dhinakaran, by-elections in those seats too are expected to be conducted before 7 February.

Last month, the Madras High Court upheld the disqualification of 18 dissident AIADMK lawmakers, a decision that bolstered the position of the ruling party’s administration in Tamilnadu.

The MLAs are loyal to Dhinakaran, a rebel AIADMK leader who has launched his own party.
“Traitors have been taught a lesson,’ the AIADMK said in a tweet. Dhinakaran, on the other hand, dismissed the development as ‘just an experience in politics…not a setback.”

The Speaker of the Tamilnadu Assembly disqualified the MLAs in August last year under what’s popularly known as an anti-defection law, after they gave the Governor letters “withdrawing their support” to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. When the Madras High Court gave a split verdict in the case in June, it was referred to a third, Supreme Court-appointed judge, who delivered last month’s judgment.

Apart from the 18 Assembly seats that have fallen vacant in the wake of the disqualifications, bye-elections to two other constituencies – Thiruvarur and Thiruparankundram – are pending after the death of their legislators.