Chennai, Sep 12 (PTI) A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the EC over an “Election Expenditure Security,” as recovery from MLAs who resigned from a constituency and wish to re-contest in a bypoll necessitated due to their resignation.
The PIL filed by advocate K Suthan is likely to come up for hearing early.
In his petition, he also sought a direction to restrain the ECI from holding the bye-election to fill the vacancies in the Maduranthakam and Dharapura, both reserved constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on October 6.
He also sought a direction to the ECI to mandate, as a pre-condition for filing nomination papers, the deposit of the “Election Expenditure Security” as fixed by it for each of respective constituency by the resigned members, namely S Jayakumar (Perunthurai) K Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam) P Sathyabama (Dharapuram) Esakki Subbaya (Ambasamudram), C Vijaya Bhaskar (Viralimalai) and M R Vijayabhaskar (Karur), should they seek to contest the ensuing bye-elections for the constituencies that have fallen vacant due to their respective resignations.
The official receipt or challan evidencing the deposit of such security shall be treated as a mandatory and integral part of the nomination papers submitted by the aforesaid individuals, failing which they be reject at the stage of scrutiny.
The Public Interest Litigation also sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to examine and initiate necessary legislative and/or regulatory measures to create a mechanism for ensuring financial accountability of elected representatives who voluntarily and prematurely resign from their seats without legally recognized compelling circumstances, including by considering the introduction of the “Election Expenditure Security” to recover the cost of the resultant bye-elections. PTI CORR SA
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