Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 22 (ANI): The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has withdrawn the names of several alliance leaders from its star campaigners list for the October 6 bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, after Opposition parties questioned their inclusion.
TVK’s original list included VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, Congress leader Manickam Tagore and IUML leader K M Khader Mohideen, among other leaders from alliance parties. The names of several of these leaders have now been removed from the list.
The development came after Opposition parties questioned whether leaders who are members of other political parties could be included in TVK’s list of star campaigners.
The DMK approached the Election Commission seeking cancellation of the original list. DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi argued that the inclusion of leaders from other parties was contrary to Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and also raised the issue of election expenditure.
Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act deals with the account of election expenses maintained by candidates and contains provisions relating to recognised star campaigners. The Election Commission says candidates are required to maintain a separate and correct account of election expenditure under the section.
Election Commission instructions also provide specific rules on expenditure when a star campaigner of another political party or an alliance party participates in a rally with a candidate. In such circumstances, certain expenses, including the campaigner’s travel expenses to the constituency, can be included in the candidate’s election expenditure account.
The legal issue raised by the Opposition is whether leaders who belong to other political parties can receive the status and expenditure-related treatment applicable to TVK’s own star campaigners. The DMK has argued that they cannot.
However, there has been no finding cited here from the Election Commission declaring that TVK’s original list was illegal. The removal of the names should therefore be reported as a development following the objections, rather than as proof that the Commission has accepted the Opposition’s legal interpretation.
The withdrawal also does not mean that alliance leaders cannot campaign for TVK candidates. The separate question is how such campaigning and the related expenditure will be treated under election rules.
For the DMK, the issue has provided an opportunity to scrutinise TVK’s election arrangements and raise questions before the Election Commission.
For TVK, the immediate issue is the revised campaign arrangement and the treatment of alliance leaders who may participate in the bypoll campaign.
The Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with campaigning expected to intensify in the coming days. (ANI)
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