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MEMORANDUM

April 16th, 2019

Ref: 00028A/2019
To,

Chief Election Commissioner &


His Companion Election Commissioners of India

The Election Commission of India,


Nirvachan Sadan
New Delhi - 110001

Dear Sirs,

RE: ELECTION IN PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY OF


KARUR, TAMIL NADU

REQUEST FOR URGENT AND NECESSARY DIRECTIONS TO


ELECTION OFFICIALS IN KARUR IN ORDER TO PREVENT
UNNECESSARY HINDRANCES BEING CREATED BY THE
INCUMBENT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND HIS PARTY
WORKERS

&

ORDER IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AGAINST THE


RETURNING OFFICER IN KARUR PARLIAMENTARY
CONSTITUENCY

This is to bring to your urgent attention certain serious and grave


concerns that the Hon’ble Commission needs to take immediate note of.

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I.

It has come to our attention that the incumbent Member of Parliament


from Karur parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu has been working
in connivance with the District Collector and the police authorities to
create hindrances for candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections
against Mr. Thambidurai in Karur.

Recently, on April 15th, 2019, despite having the requisite


permissions and application for closing day campaigning, the
District Collector for Karur did not permit Ms. Jothimani
Sennimalai to continue her campaign in her assigned slot and
consequently during the same slot allowed the AIADMK
candidate to campaign right outside the election office of Ms.
Jothimani Sennimalai.

After holding peaceful protests outside the election official’s office and
timely intervention of the election observer (Mr. Prasad Kumar - +91-
9489576177), the malpractice of AIADMK candidate was discovered and
subsequently Ms. Jothimani Sennimalai was allowed to continue with her
closing day campaign.

It may be mentioned that the Assistant Returning Officer / Election


Observer also passed an official order in regard to Ms. Jothimani
Sennimalai’s closing day campaign.

Despite all of the above, the local ministers in Karur have


announced that they shall not adhere to the orders of the
Assistant Returning Officer / Election Observer and shall
continue to campaign and schedule meetings during the time
allotted to any other candidate.

II
In light of the above, Ms. Jothimani Sennimalai discussed the matter with
the election observer and thereafter immediately approached the
Returning Officer for filing a petition against the persons violating the
orders passed in favour of Ms. Jothimani Sennimalai.

However, to the utter shock and dismay of Ms. Jothimani, the


Returning Officer not only refused to listen to her complaints

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but instead threatened that he will lodge a FIR against Ms.
Jothimani’s lawyer and thereafter recommend the
cancellation of Ms. Jothimani’s nomination.

This is yet another example of the high handedness of the party in power
and its allies. This is just another in a series of blatant and brazen
violations that have undermined the sanctity of our electoral laws and the
authority of the Hon’ble Commission. Unsurprisingly, it is always
candidates that belong to the opposition parties that seem to suffer the
consequences of arbitrary decision making.

In keeping with its spirit of timely intervention and taking swift action,
we pray that this Commission passes stern strictures against the
incumbent Member of Parliament from Karur, the Election Officials and
the District Collector conniving with him to sabotage the campaigns of
opposition leaders.

We hope the Commission treats the matter with the attention it deserves.

Warm Regards,

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