DMK seeks assembly by-polls in Tamil Nadu along with Lok Sabha elections

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Monday said that Assembly by-polls in the state should be held along with the coming Lok Sabha elections.

In a statement issued, Stalin said: "In order to have an alliance with the AIADMK, BJP has given assurances for not conducting by-elections in 21 assembly constituencies along with LS elections."

"I would ask the Election Commission of India to use its Constitutional freedom to conduct by-elections for 21 assembly constituencies along with the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu," he said.

"If the Election Commission of India collides with the BJP, it will be a historic error and a black chapter in the election history of India," warned Stalin.

BJP and AIADMK on Tuesday stitched a deal to fight the coming Lok Sabha polls together in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, a day after the BJP reached a seat-sharing pact with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra for the General Elections.

Under the agreement, the BJP will contest five out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and put up its candidate for the lone lower House seat in Puducherry.

The AIADMK is also holding alliance talks with the DMDK led by Vijayakanth.

In the 235-member Assembly, the AIADMK has 115 members followed by DMK with 88 and the Congress eight, besides others. 21 seats are vacant.

The Supreme Court has refused to take up the matter of disqualification of 11 AIADMK MLAs on an urgent basis and posted it for hearing later.

The Court had also stated "we have tried to take up the matter early but we couldn't do so. We will hear the matter soon.