DMK not to contest from RK Nagar, says Karunanidhi

A day after Election Commission announced bypoll for the RK Nagar Assembly constituency from where Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa is likely to contest, DMK chief Karunanidhi today said his party has decided not to contest the by-election.

"As general elections to the State Assembly are to be held within a year, and since it will be good to avoid contesting, DMK has decided not to contest from RK Nagar seat," Karunanidhi said here.

"We clearly know how democracy will be respected in the bypoll," he said sarcastically and asked "if we do not know how it was a carnival of money" in the Srirangam bypolls held in January this year.

"Did not we see to what extent the police had honestly conducted themselves in the bypoll?," he asked in a statement.

The election commission announced yesterday that bypolls would be held on June 27 to Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency here in North Chennai.

Srirangam bypolls were held to fill the vacany caused by the disqualification of Jayalalithaa last year after she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case by a trial court in Bengaluru.

For the RK Nagar bypoll, the Election Commission said yesterday that notification would be issued on June 3, and the last date for filing nominations would be June 10. Counting of votes would be held on June 30.

AIADMK MLA representing RK Nagar, P Vetrivel resigned on May 17 amid speculation that Jayalalithaa, who was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court on May 11 in the disproportionate assets case, may contest from there.