EC cancelling R.K. Nagar by-polls looks hasty: Swamy

Following the cancellation of the by-polls in Chennai's R.K. Nagar constituency, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the Election Commission's decision looks little hasty.

"I would like to see the report as I am not satisfied with the evidences that is put on record because it is based on loose sheets and in the Sahara case the Supreme Court has already said that loose sheets are not to be relied on until you have some other evidences. The Election Commission decision looks little hasty," Swamy told ANI.

The elections were earlier scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The Election Commission said that the by-elections shall be held by the poll panel in due course when the vitiating effect created by the distribution of money and gift items to allure the electors gets removed with the passage of time and the atmosphere in the constituency becomes conducive to the holding of free and fair election.

The Election Commission's decision came after Income Tax raids in Chennai found that money was distributed to the voters.

The by-elections in R.K. Nagar became necessary after the death of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, who represented it for two terms.

Earlier on Friday, the Income Tax officials raided several premises belonging to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and his relatives in Chennai and other districts in the wake of complaints that he was involved in cash distribution to the voters in the R.K. Nagar constituency ahead of the April 12 by-polls.

The Income Tax (IT) authorities have issued summons to Vijayabaskar to appear before them today in connection with the raid on his premises on Friday.

The IT department also conducted searches on the premises of actor and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R. Sarathkumar, former AIADMK legislator Chitlapakkam Rajendran and vice-chancellor of Dr MGR Medical University S. Geethalakshmi.