DMK moves Madras HC again over 'bogus voters' in RK Nagar electoral roll

CHENNAI: The DMK on Wednesday moved the Madras High Court seeking to reopen its PIL on bogus voters in bypoll- bound R K Nagar Assembly constituency here, claiming that about 5,000 more entries need to be deleted from the electoral roll.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom DMK's senior counsel P Wilson made a mention to this effect, said it would direct a division bench to take up the matter tomorrow if the petitioner filed a formal plea in the registry.

The constituency, held twice by late chief minister Jayalalithaa, is going for the byelection on December 21.

The bench had on November 21 disposed of the PIL filed by DMK organisational secretary R S Bharathi seeking door-to-door verification of the electoral roll as infructuous after recording a submission by the Election Commission that 45,819 names of the voters had been deleted based on a complaint by the DMK.

It had then directed the EC to publish the deleted list on its website.

Wilson today submitted that the petitioner was under the impression that its grievance had been properly redressed.

However, he claimed it had come to light now that the details of the deleted voters given by the EC did not tally with the list given by the petitioner in its complaint and still names of about 5,000 voters were to be removed.

The statement made by the EC before the court was virtually untrue for which the officials shall be dealt with in accordance with Law, he submitted.

He further submitted that the petitioner made a fresh representation to the EC on November 28 along with proof of non-deletion of 5,000 voters. But no action had been taken so far, he contended.

Since the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the bypoll was fast approaching, it was just and necessary to re-open the PIL for necessary and appropriate orders, the counsel said.

The constituency has fallen vacant after the death of sitting member Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year.