PMK urges EC to appoint non-TN cadre IAS official as Returning Officer for Vikravandi
The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Sunday urged the Election Commission to appoint an IAS officer from outside of Tamil Nadu as the Returning Officer (RO) for the July 10 bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency.
Alleging blatant violation of rules by the governing DMK and assault on PMK and AIADMK functionaries by a ruling party office-bearer, PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss appealed to the poll body to replace the incumbent RO, M Chandrasekar (a state government official) with an IAS official belonging to some other state to ensure, ‘at least to some extent,’ fair conduct of election.
Additionally, five observers should be appointed and action should be taken on all the complaints against those belonging to the DMK for violation of rules, Anbumani said in a statement.
The PMK president alleged that ‘thousands’ of DMK workers are camping in Vikravandi, which includes Ministers and over 80 MLAs who are campaigning in the constituency using ‘cars in thousands,’ which is a violation. Such cars should be seized. However, rather than doing that, Villupuram district police and officials are providing protection.
An AIADMK office bearer and a local leader of the PMK were brutally assaulted by a DMK functionary and both them have been hospitalised, Anbumani, also a Rajya Sabha member alleged.
DMK candidate Anniyur Siva alias A Sivashanmugam, PMK nominee C Anbumani and Tamil nationalist party, Naam Tamilar Katchi’s K Abinaya are the main contenders out of the 29 aspirants. AIADMK, the main opposition party and its ally in the recent LS polls, the DMDK have boycotted the bypoll and the PMK is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA.