LS polls in TN: Filing of nominations from Mar 29

The election process for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu will formally begin with the issue of notification on March 29, a top EC official said here today.
Soon after the Election Commission of India notified the polling dates for general elections across the nation, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar announced the calendar of events in the state at a press conference here.
The filing of nomination would commence from March 29 and the last date for submitting nominations is April five.
The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April seven and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is April nine, he said.

He said that the bye-poll for Alandur Assembly constituency, caused by the resignation by 'Panruti' Ramachandran who was elected on DMDK ticket, would also be held on April 24 along with LS election, Kumar said.
Ramachandran, who quit his assembly seat also resigned from DMDK and later joined AIADMK.

Briefing on the enforcement of 'Model Code of Conduct' (MCC) which comes into force with immediate effect, he said the government cannot announce financial grants in any form or promises or new schemes or sanction funds for new schemes.
Ministers and other political executives shall not lay foundation stones or have inaugural functions etc. Of projects or scheme of any kind, he said.

The state has a total of 5.37 crore eligible voters, including 2.69 crore men, 2.68 crore women and 2,996 transgenders.
The EC would set up 60,417 polling stations across the state for voting on April 24, he said.
Sriperumbudur and Nagapattinam were the largest and smallest constituencies in the state with 18,55,504 and 11,88,738 voters respectively, he said.
As for the Alandur bye-poll, there were 2,97,631 voters and 310 polling stations.