Chennai: Barely 48 hours after the elections to 38 Lok Sabha seats and by-polls for 18 Assembly seats got over in the state, DMK president
M K Stalin held conference with senior lieutenants and also the local party functionaries to devise strategy for the four Assembly by-elections scheduled on
May 19.
The meeting at the DMK headquarters discussed steps for winning all the four seats so as to fulfill Stalin's challenge that his party would soon take charge of the Government at Fort St. George by defeating the ruling AIADMK in most of these by-polls.
The DMK meet also decided Stalin would launch his first phase of campaigning on May 1 at Ottapidaram and conclude at Aravakurichi on May 8. Considering his hectic work for the April 18 polls, it is to be expected that the DMK chief would stretch his physical limits to make a strong bid for these four seats too.
The day also witnessed DMK allies, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and MDMK leader Vaiko, calling on Stalin to renew their commitment to support the DMK candidates in the four by-elections. "Our party cadres will work hard to ensure victory for the DMK in these elections too", Thirumavalavan told reporters later.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK has invited applications for the four Assembly bye-elections from aspirants in the party. They could purchase the applications by remitting `25,000 on Sunday, April 21, and submit it the same day, said a statement from the AIADMK headquarters.
By-elections to the four Assembly constituencies — Aravakurichi, Thiruparankundram, Ottapidaram(SC) and Aravakurichi-have been announced to be held on May 19. The EC gazette notification will be issued on April 22, the last date for filing nominations will be April 29. Nominations would be scrutinised by April 30 and the last date for withdrawal would be May 2.
The DMK had petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the EC decision not to hold by-elections in three of these four Assembly bye-polls—Aravakurichi,
Thiruparankundram and Ottapidaram(SC)-which had fallen vacant after 18 MLAs were disqualified for shifting loyalty to rebel TTV Dhinakaran.
The EC had claimed it did not announce the polls because cases relating to these three here citing cases pending in court.
The Sulur by-poll was necessitated by its AIADMK MLA R Kanagaraj passing away after cardiac arrest in March.
