The Madras High Court today said the Election Commission would have to take appropriate steps to ensure a fair and transparent by-election in R K Nagar Assembly constituency in view of the earlier bypoll being cancelled over bribing of voters.
Justice K Ravichandrababu made the observations while disposing of a petition by DMK candidate N Maruthu Ganesh in the December 21 by-election.
He said the court hoped that the EC would take all effective steps to prevent illegalities of bribing voters.
The petitioner sought steps, including installation of CCTV cameras in all streets of the constituency and live streaming of the polling and counting to curb illegal activities.
According to the petitioner, during the previous cancelled by-election, corrupt practices were allegedly adopted by the ruling AIADMK, leading to the poll being rescinded by the election body.
He said in the changed scenario, two rival groups of the AIADMK had fielded their respective candidates and alleged their workers were indulging in various corrupt activities, including distribution of money to voters.
When the matter came up for hearing, Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopal submitted a note on the steps taken by the EC till now to ensure a free and fair election.
He said steps have been taken to webcast voting in all the 258 booths in the constituency and the counting.
This apart, the commission has deployed 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and seven senior observers, the highest ever in the country (for a constituency), in RK Nagar, he submitted.
Petitioner's senior counsel P Wilson wanted the court to direct the EC to consider the requests made in the petition in addition to the steps taken by the poll body.
Recording the submissions, the judge said the EC would have to take the call and attend to the situation by taking appropriate steps to assure the public that a free and fair election will be conducted as it had already experienced difficulties once which resulted in rescinding the election.
The earlier by-election scheduled in RK Nagar in April this year was cancelled over use of money power to influence voters.
Besides Ganesh, AIADMK's E Madhusudhnan and sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran are among those contesting the bypoll, necessitated by the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa last year.
Counting of votes is scheduled for December 24.
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