The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the bypoll schedule for Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram (SC), Sulur and Tirupparankundram Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, which are vacant due to the death of sitting MLAs in two seats and due to disqualification of legislators in the other two.
As per the announcement, the polling in these Assembly constituencies would be held on May 19 and the results would be declared on May 23 along with the general elections and the 18 Assembly constituencies that go to poll on April 18.
The gazette notification for the by-polls would be issued on April 22 and the last date for filing nominations is on April 29. The nominations would be scrutinised on April 30 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations would be on May 2.
The results of these 22 Assembly constituencies would have a direct impact on the ruling AIADMK government which is presently surviving on wafer thin margin in the State Legislative Assembly.
Presently, AIADMK has 113 members (excluding the Speaker), DMK has 88 MLAs and Congress has eight legislators. Indian Union Muslim League has one member and T.T.V. Dhinakaran is an independent MLA in the 234-member House.