Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin on Friday said the byelection to Tirupparankundram constituency was necessitated because of the ‘cheating’ committed by AIADMK in obtaining the signature of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the nomination papers of the party’s candidate.
Addressing election campaigns at different places in the constituency throughout Friday, he said while it was true that the demise of A.K. Bose, former MLA of the constituency, necessitated the election, it was equally true that his election itself was problematic and was hence set aside by the Madras High Court in a recent judgment.
He recollected the controversy surrounding the thumb impression of Jayalalithaa present in the nomination paper of A.K. Bose, when he successfully contested the previous byelection for the constituency in 2016. “As per procedure, the party chief’s signature is required in the nomination paper of the candidates. However, Jayalalithaa was hospitalised at the time,” he said.
“Her death still remains a mystery. We do not know if she was alive or if she was conscious when the byelection for Tirupparankundram took place. But we were shown her thumb impression on the nomination papers,” he added.