The Madras High Court on Monday extended its interim stay on conducting by-elections in five vacant Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies, directing that no election notification be issued until September 28.
The seats—Tiruchy East, Karur, Viralimalai, Perundurai and Ambasamudram—fell vacant after Chief Minister Vijay, who had contested and won, later resigned. Election petitions related to these constituencies are pending.
The stay was passed in a public interest litigation filed by Venkatachalapathy of Palayamkottai, seeking a bar on holding bypolls and on the Election Commission issuing any notification. Earlier, the court had also sought responses from the Election Commission, the Union government, the Assembly Secretary and several individuals named in the case.
When the matter came up again before the Chief Justice-led bench, senior counsel Muralidhar, appearing for former Perundurai MLA Jayakumar, submitted that the election petition challenging Jayakumar’s victory had been dismissed and urged the court to lift the restraint.
After hearing all sides, the bench extended the stay until September 28 and said the final hearing would be held on that date. The court also noted that bypolls are scheduled on October 6 for two other constituencies—Madurantakam and Dharapuram.
