On Monday, June 10, 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that the by-poll for the Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, would be held on July 10. This by-poll will be held along with by-polls for 12 other seats across 7 states, namely Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The Vikravandi assembly seat in Tamil Nadu registered the highest polling percentage among the 13 constituencies, while Uttarakhand’s Badrinath seat saw the lowest turnout.
What are By-polls?
By-polls, also known as special elections or bye-elections, are held to fill vacant seats in India's legislative bodies. They are an important part of the electoral process and help address unexpected vacancies in between regular elections. The main purpose of by-polls is to promptly fill vacant seats and ensure representation of the affected area in the legislative body. By-polls are conducted when a seat in the legislature becomes vacant for reasons such as the death, resignation, or disqualification of a sitting member.
Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates the Election Commission to fill any casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures through by-elections within six months from the date of the vacancy, as long as the remaining term of the member in relation to the vacancy is one year or more.
The Vikravandi by-election 2024:
The vacancy in Vikravandi was declared following the death of DMK legislator N. Pugazhenthi in April this year. Vikravandi Assembly constituency was formed after delimitation of Assembly constituencies in 2008. Since 2011, CPM, DMK, and AIADMK have won in this constituency in different elections. The constituency is facing its second by-election in the last 5 years.
There are a total of 29 candidates in the running, and the vote counting will take place on July 13. The candidate from the ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is Anniyur Siva, who is competing against C Anbumani from the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and K Abinaya from the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
The main opposition party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and its ally Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) have decided to boycott the by-poll. They expressed concerns that the polls may not be conducted democratically. Tamil Nadu's BJP president, K. Annamalai, announced that the PMK, its ally during the Lok Sabha elections, would contest on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). With the AIADMK staying out of the Vikravandi by-poll in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) appears confident of an easy win. However, NDA allies Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are aiming to challenge the ruling party and gain ground in the by-polls on July 10.
DMK's victory seemed assured until the hooch tragedy struck the neighboring Kallakurichi district on June 18, claiming 65 lives. The PMK and the NTK are also implementing various strategies to attract AIADMK voters. During a recent campaign speech, Anbumani Ramadoss openly stated that since the AIADMK and the DMK are rivals, supporters of the AIADMK would vote for the PMK to ensure that the DMK candidate loses the election. The DMK campaign highlighted the beneficiary schemes implemented by the Chief Minister, while PMK claimed that the party led by MK Stalin failed to conduct the caste survey. The PMK also mentioned that although it was a long stretch, Stalin promised 10.5% reservation for the Vanniyar community if the candidate from his party wins the by-poll.
The PMK and NTK could see a rise in vote share as they believe that the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy should work against the DMK, but the Dalits votes may still entirely favour the DMK.
The by-election for the Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district recorded an 82.48% voter turnout on Wednesday. The votes will be counted on July 13 and the results will be declared on the same day.
The impacts of By-polls:
By-polls often act as a litmus test for political parties and their popularity. They offer an opportunity for parties to measure public sentiment and evaluate their level of support.
The outcomes of bye-elections can have a significant impact on the ruling government. If the ruling party loses a considerable number of seats in these by-polls, it could result in a loss of majority in the legislative body. This, in turn, may affect the stability of the government and its ability to make decisions.
Bye-elections offer political parties a chance to experiment with their electoral strategies and refine their campaign approaches.
Sources:
The Hindu
The Times of India
India Today
Press Information Bureau
The Indian Express
CNBC TV 18
Drishtiias
Great analysis!! It will be interesting to see who wins this. Keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteReally insightful piece of work bro👍
Delete