CHENNAI: Preparations are underway in Tamil Nadu for byelections to vacant assembly constituencies. Officials have completed the first round of electronic voting machine (EVM) verification in five of the six vacant constituencies and communicated this to the Election Commission of India. The upcoming byelections will decide the fate of Trichy East, Maduranthakam, Dharapuram, Ambasamudram, Perundurai and Viralimalai. While chief minister C Joseph Vijay resigned from the Trichy East constituency, bypolls were necessitated in the five other constituencies after the AIADMK MLAs resigned from their posts. Except for former minister C Vijaybaskar, the other four MLAs joined the TVK immediately after their resignation. The authorities are yet to carry out EVM verification in Viralimalai, which was declared vacant on June 17 after Vijaybaskar resigned from the post on June 16. “We will soon start the election preparation work in Viralimalai constituency,” said the official. Senior officials in the election department said that they had to complete the first round of EVM verification within 30 days after the seats were notified as vacant. “We commenced the exercise on June 16 in five constituencies and completed it on June 19. We have to report it to the ECI. Once the election dates are announced, we will take up randomisation of EVMs and other election-related exercises,” said the official. He noted that district collectors, who are also the district election officers, are following the routine procedure.
