The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : DMK candidate's election challenged in court

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Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

DMK candidate's election challenged in court

Special Correspondent

“The candidate managed to secure his victory by corrupt practices”

CHENNAI: The AIADMK candidate in the Tiruppathur constituency has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to declare the election of the DMK nominee in the Tamil Nadu Assembly poll on April 13 as void.

In his petition, R.S. Raja Kannappan, said the Returning Officer declared that DMK candidate K.R.Periakaruppan had secured 83,485 votes against 81,901votes in his favour.

He said that the DMK candidate “managed to secure his victory by corrupt practices.” All electronic voting machines were brought to the Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering in Karaikudi, where they were kept in classrooms on the first floor without any security.

A mere padlock and a crossbar, which could be easily unscrewed and re-fixed, were on the door. This was “done deliberately to facilitate free ingress into the room for the purpose of tampering the machines.”

Mr.Kannappan said he had given three written objections during the counting to the Returning Officer highlighting the various irregularities and illegalities warranting a repoll.

He catalogued the various discrepancies from the records supplied by the Returning Officer.

They would show that in the election there had been improper receiving and rejecting of votes and violation of the law, rules and orders, he said.

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