Chennai: AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Tuesday
said the Election Commission need not conduct the August 18
bypolls to five assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and
'waste public money', as the victory of DMK-Congress front
candidates was a 'foregone conclusion', with her party's
decision to boycott them.
In a statement here, she said the AIADMK, which is never
afraid of facing the people, had decided to boycott the polls
"as a Gandhian way of protest" since the EC had 'failed' to
prevent electoral malpratices by DMK.
"Everybody knows about the outcome as the principal
opposition decided to boycott the polls. When there is no
contest, where is the need for Union Fertiliser minister M K
Azhagiri to say that DMK will win the bypolls? Where is the
need for elections, when there is no contest? The amount to be
spent on the byelections by EC can be spent on providing
drinking water, roads and hospitals in rural areas', she said.
It would be better if the EC avoided conducting the
bypolls and declared the candidates of DMK-Congress front as
winners, she said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 16:02