DMK, the leading opposition party in the State, has opposed the conduct of the R.K. Nagar by-polls in the city before action is taken on those involved in the cash-for-vote scam which forced the Election Commission of India to cancel the by-polls which were scheduled to be held on 12th April this year.

R.K. Nagar by-polls were necessitated after its incumbent MLA and former Tamil Nadu chief-minister J. Jayalalithaa was declared ‘dead’ last December by the Apollo Hospitals following a mystery-filled 75-day long hospitalization during when the Hospital revealed conflicting reports on the late chief-minister’s health.  Just when it was felt that she was recovering, the late chief-minister was declared ‘dead’ on the night of 05th December.

The factions of the AIADMK (which were then led by OPS and EPS) nominated Madhusudanan and jailbird Dinakaran (who nominated himself) while the DMK nominated Marudhu Ganesh, a local advocate.  When the date of polling neared, the EC cancelled the by-polls after large-scale complaints of cash-for-vote by concerned political parties surfaced.

Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti had recently hinted that the R.K. Nagar by-polls would be held by 31st December. DMK candidate Marudhu Ganesh has penned a letter to the EC asking it to hold by-polls only after the accused (including chief-minister Edapadi Palaniswami and Health Minister Vijayabhaskar) are brought to book in the cash-for-vote scam.