TN Govt announces annulment of elections to coop poll

Chennai, July 11 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government today announced the annulment of elections so far held to all cooperative societies, following complaints of ''irregularities'', even as PMK, the ruling DMK's key ally, declared that it would boycott the polls.

Expressing concern over some undesirable acts, that had taken place during the conduct of the elections, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, in a statement here, said the Government would come out with a fresh schedule after consulting the leaders of the legislative parties.

''Elections, so far held to all cooperative bodies, are annuled and the fresh date will be announced after an all party meeting,'' the Chief Minister said.

Minutes before the Chief Minister made the announcement, PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a statement here, quoting Communist Party of India (Marxist), said, there were irregularities in 90 per cent of the places and the charge could not be dismissed lightly.

''It is a fact that there were large scale irregularities in the elections held so far to the cooperative bodies,'' he said adding, the ruling partyment did not allow others to file nominations in many places.

Demanding that the Government should come forward to annul the election and hold fresh ones, Dr Ramadoss said, if the DMK Government wanted to hold the elections in the ''same style'' the PMK would boycott the elections.

The PMK was the second ally, after the CPI(M), to openly criticise the DMK for ''throwing into winds'' all the democratic norms, while conducting the cooperative elections.

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UNI