After RK Nagar by-polls cancelled: Chidambaram takes jibe at demonetisation

The electoral process has been seriously vitiated by parties through use of money power, the Election Commission said while cancelling RK Nagar bypoll which was scheduled to be held on April 12.

The Election Commission cancelled the April 12 bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu over the use of money power to influence voters. After several rounds of meeting with Tamil Nadu election officials, the Election Commission decided to rescind the election notification.

Meanwhile, Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation drive.

"We were told demonetisation has put an end to black money. Was money distributed in R K NAGAR white money?", Chidambaram tweeted.

The elections were earlier scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The EC had said the by-election will be held 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".

Tamil Nadu had gone for Assembly polls on May 16, 2016 after which the AIADMK returned to power for a second consecutive term.

The Commission had used its constitutional powers in March 2012 recommending to the President cancellation of the notification for a Rajya Sabha biennial election from Jharkhand even after the polling had concluded after it found that money was used to influence voters.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)