Kerala: Bypolls to 6 Assembly seats in October
The CEC had been apprised about the situation in the state and issues related to Vattiyoorkavu and Manjewswaram constituencies.
Thiruvananthapuram: The by-elections to the six Assembly seats in the state are expected to be held in October.
Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena said here on Thursday that the state was prepared to hold by-elections in Aroor, Manjeshwaram, Ernakulam, Pala, Vattiyoorkavu and Konni anytime. “We have informed the Election Commission about the monsoon. The rains can create logistic problems for making arrangements. Though normally monsoon gets over by September, the rain may continue even up to October. But we are prepared for elections any day,” he said.
Most probably the polls would be held in October because many vacancies have arisen in other state Assembly constituencies as well following the election of sitting MLAs to Parliament. Moreover, Maharashtra is also due for Assembly polls in October. “Hence the Election Commission may decide to hold the polls together,” he said.
The CEC had been apprised about the situation in the state and issues related to Vattiyoorkavu and Manjewswaram constituencies. The BJP candidates in the last Assembly elections from there had filed court cases.
“I don’t think there is any problem in holding bypoll in Vattiyoorkavu. As per the legal opinion we received, the constituency has a clear vacancy now because of the sitting MLA’s election to Parliament. Even earlier there was no case or petition demanding the declaration of the election as null and void or declaring BJP candidate Kummanam Rajashekharan as elected. The case is totally different. It is related to the declaration of assets and hiding some details. So Rajashekharan never raised any argument about declaring him elected or cancelling the polls,” he said.
On Manjeshwaram, without naming K. Surendran, the CEO said he was doing a flip-flop. “Sometimes he says he is withdrawing the case and sometimes he says the opposite. More clarity is required there. Unless the High Court gives a final order, we cannot go on the basis of oral observations. So we are still waiting for the final judgment,” he said.