A total of 139 candidates, including those from ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK, are in the fray for the November 19 election to three Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu as the filing of nominations ended today.
While a by-election will be held at Thirupparankundram in Madurai district, Aravakurichi and Thanjavur will have elections as they were cancelled for these two seats in May.
Aravakkurichi topped the list with 59 nominations, followed by Thirupparankundram (44) and Thanjavur (36), state Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni told reporters here.
Besides the AIADMK and DMK candidates, PMK, BJP and DMDK nominees too are contesting the polls. A number of Independents are also in the fray.
The four-party combine, People's Welfare Front (PWF), comprising MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and VCK, has boycotted the polls.
Filing of nominations, which had started on October 26, ended today. The scrutiny will be taken up tomorrow and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 5.
AIADMK is facing the polls at a time when its supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is hospitalised since September 22.
In Aravakkurichi constituency, V Senthil Balaji (AIADMK) and KC Palanisamy (DMK) and in Thanjavur, Anjugham Boopathy (DMK) and M Rengasamy (AIADMK) are among the candidates.
At Thirupparankundram, AIADMK has fielded AK Bose, while P Saravanan is the DMK nominee.
Counting of votes will be held on November 22 and the entire election process will be completed before November 24, the Election Commission (EC) has announced.
In an unprecedented move, polls to the Aravakkurichi and Thanjavur seats were cancelled at the time of the state Assembly election by the EC, following allegations of distribution of money and gifts among the voters by political parties.
Polls were first postponed from May 16 to May 23 and then, to June 13. Finally, the poll notification was rescinded for the two constituencies and fresh elections were announced.
The by-poll at Thirupparankundram was necessitated as AIADMK MLA SM Seenivel passed away soon after the declaration of the Assembly poll results.
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