Vikravandi bypoll: Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday (June 14) announced that the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), its ally, would contest the on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in the upcoming bypolls to Vikravandi Assembly Constituency in Villupuram district. The seat was vacant following the death of DMK legislator N Pugazhenthi in April this year.
In a statement, Annamalai said, "In a unanimous decision, leaders of the National Democratic Alliance have decided that the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a constituent of the NDA combine, will contest the July 10 bypoll to the Vikravandi assembly constituency."
Annamalai appealed to the alliance parties to collaborate for the victory of the NDA candidate in Vikravandi.
PMK spokesperson K Balu said that the party leadership, including Anbumani Ramadoss and founder S Ramadoss, are finalising their nominee for the bypoll, and the candidate will be announced shortly.
Meanwhile, the ruling DMK has already named Anniyur Siva as its candidate, while the main opposition AIADMK has yet to announce theirs. The Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamilar Katchi has nominated Abinaya, a homoeopathy doctor, as its candidate.
Bypolls for 13 Assembly constituencies on July 10
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for by-elections across 13 Assembly constituencies in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.
The assembly seats going for bypolls include four seats in West Bengal, three seats in Himachal Pradesh, and two seats in Uttarakhand. The 13 assembly constituencies going to polls are Rupauli (Bihar), Raiganj (West Bengal), Ranaghat Dakshin (West Bengal), Bagda (West Bengal), Maniktala (West Bengal), Vikravandi (Tamil Nadu), Amarwara (Madhya Pradesh), Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Manglaur (Uttarakhand), Jalandhar West (Punjab), Dehra (Himachal Pradesh), Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh), and Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh).
In a statement released by the poll body, details were provided about the 13 assembly constituencies where elections are scheduled to be held. The ECI said, the notification for the elections across the constituencies will be issued on June 14, with the last date for filing nomination papers set for June 21. The poll papers will be scrutinized on June 24, and the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is June 26.
Further, polling will be held across all constituencies on July 10, with the counting of votes set for July 13, the ECI added.
