RK Nagar Assembly bypoll on Thursday; litmus test for AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu govt

Chennai: The stage is set for the crucial by-election in the Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency on Thursday with 59 candidates in the fray.

According to the final list posted on the website of the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer, a total of 72 nominations were accepted and out of it, 13 nominees withdrew, leaving 59 candidates, including a woman, in the contest.

The major contenders are AIADMK`s E Madhusudhanan, DMK`s N Marudhu Ganesh, sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, contesting as an Independent and Bharatiya Janata Party`s K Nagarajan.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the poll, IANS reported.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, who represented the seat. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 24.

Meanwhile, setting off a political controversy, a video purportedly showing Jayalalithaa in a hospital was released by Dhinakaran's loyalist on Wednesday.

Amid questions raised about the timing of the about 20-second video, aired by TV channels and later went viral on the social media, election officials asked channels to stop it's telecast, saying it was a violation of the model code of conduct.

The footage, showing a frail-looking Jayalalithaa in a nightdress was released by Vetrivel, disqualified AIADMK MLA and election agent of Dhinakaran.

A police complaint was lodged by Returning Officer of RK Nagar Assembly constituency against Vetrivel, who said he released it in view of doubts raised over the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation and death.

AIADMK hit out at Sasikala's family, saying the video release was a 'conspiracy' and a 'demeaning' act with an eye on bypoll.

Suspicions have been raised over circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's demise by several persons, including now Deputy CM O Panneerselvam and his followers.

The state government has appointed a retired Madras High Court judge as the one-man commission of inquiry to look into the circumstances leading to her death.

DMK also alleged that the video had been released with an eye on the bypoll.

Defending the release of the video, Vetrivel said he did it on his own "out of mental agony. Later Dhinakaran called me and asked me why I did so," he told PTI.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni told reporters that TV channels were asked to immediately stop airing the clip, which they duly complied with.

He said telecast or display of any election-related material 48 hours before the conclusion of the poll was barred under election laws.

(With Agency inputs)