Opposition Parties Urged To Back DMK In Byelection To Jayalalithaa’s Constituency

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has appealed to the opposition parties to throw their weight behind the party in the byelection to R K Nagar assembly constituency – the coveted seat of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

"To restore faith in democracy and teach this proxy regime a fitting lesson all opposition parties should back the DMK candidate," said DMK working president M K Stalin.

Allies Congress, IUML, MMK and Kongu Nadu Makkal Desiya Katchi have pledged their support to DMK for the bypoll, said Stalin. The PWF, comprising CPI (M), CPI, and VCK, had announced it would decide its candidate after discussions among constituents. The BJP may field its state unit president Tamilisai Sounderarajan .

A bypoll will be held on 12 April in RK Nagar assembly seat, which fell vacant upon the death of Jayalalithaa on 5 December 2016. Counting of votes will be held on 15 April. This is the third consecutive year when R K Nagar is facing an election. First, when Jayalalithaa won a byelection in the constituency after she was acquitted by the Karnataka high court in a disproportionate assets case. In May 2016, when the assembly election was held in the state, Jayalalithaa again contested from R K Nagar and won.

Meanwhile, the late leader’s niece Deepa Jayakumar, alleged that she is being harassed to prevent her from contesting the bypoll in R K Nagar Assembly seat. Referring to AIADMK chief V K Sasikala's camp, she said, "Right from the day I announced that I will be contesting in R K Nagar assembly constituency, I am being harassed in several ways indirectly."