The electoral rolls of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency published by the Election Commission in the year 2009 do not contain the names of more than 42,000 electors whose names have been deleted by the election officials without any rhyme or reason.  The procedure for the deletion of voters has been enunciated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.  The names of the voters who were eligible to vote in the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency during the 2006 Assembly General Elections and the 2009 Parliamentary General Elections were deleted without following the due procedures of Section 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Before the deletion of the names of dead persons and persons who are ordinarily not residents of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency, a list must have been prepared by the Electoral Registration Officer of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency.  Thereafter, it is the mandatory duty of the Electoral Registration Officer to exhibit on the notice board of his office a copy of the list together with the notice as to the time and place at which the question of the deletion of names from the rolls of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency would be considered by him.  Further, it is the duty of the Electoral Registration Officer to consider the written and verbal objections of the persons whose names have been deleted after submission of the objections to the Electoral Registration Officer. 

          It is pertinent to state that before the names of about more than 42,000 electors were deleted from the Electoral Rolls of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency, they ought to have been given a reasonable opportunity to object to the action that was proposed to be taken by the Electoral Registration Officer in terms of Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 21A pf the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which has not been followed with regard to the deletions in the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency which is a gross violation of the Electoral Laws. 

In this connection, it is relevant to point out that the ruling DMK Government had managed to transport the non-resident voters to cast their votes in the Tiruchendur and Vandavasi by-elections held recently in order to further their poll prospects. 

          The Ruling DMK Party through its Members of Parliament and its allies has cast baseless aspersions on the functioning of the Election Commission of India which is an independent, autonomous body.  The Ruling DMK Party has been adopting the above strategy in order to create a false impression that the opposition parties have been exercising influence over the functioning of the Election Commission of India, thereby indirectly restraining the Election Commission from performing its mandatory duties in a free and fair manner.  Being part of the Union Government, the ruling DMK Party has been exerting constant pressure on the functioning of the Election Commission, which is an independent All India Constitutional authority set up in pursuance of Article 324 of the Constitution. The ruling DMK Party has been browbeating the Election Commission in order to suit its interests and is keen to see that no genuine representation from the AIADMK, which is a major opposition party and other opposition parties is considered.

          The officials of Dharmapuri District have also been acting hand in glove with the ruling DMK Party Ministers.  The District Revenue Officer who has been entrusted with the work of preparation of the Electoral Rolls has been constantly acting under the instructions of the State DMK Minister
Mr. E.V. Velu and the Union Minister of State Mr. S. Gandhiselvan, who is a close relative. In the same way, the District Collector who had convened the Meeting about the revision of the electoral roll  categorically stated in the meeting held on 10.2.2010 that the electoral roll itself has been finally prepared for the publication and that there is no question of revision of the electoral roll, which itself goes to show that the very purpose for which the meeting was convened has been defeated.  When the representatives of the AIADMK who were asked to participate in the meeting brought to the notice of the Collector the deletion of voters, the Collector replied that there is no provision to deal with the deletion of voters under the provisions of the Electoral Laws and that the Election Commission had finally decided on the issue pertaining to the revision of the electoral roll.  Going by the action of the District Collector, Dharmapuri, it is vividly clear that the Collector is acting lin a biased manner to favour the ruling DMK Party. 

The All Party Meeting conducted by the District Collector on 10.2.2010 on the orders of the Election Commission of India was a mere eyewash.

          The ruling DMK Party Leader Mr. M. Karunanidhi has been constantly making derogatory remarks against the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Election Commissioner of India without any basis.  The ruling DMK Party Ministers are in the habit of threatening high constitutional functionaries like the Chief Election Commissioner in order to suit their purpose and for achieving their goals by hook or by crook.

          In the above circumstances, we wish to submit to the Election Commission, as the major opposition party representing the grievances of about more than 42,000 voters whose names were deleted by the officials in connivance with the ruling DMK Government, that a proper enquiry must be conducted regarding the deletion of each and every one of the voters whose names have been deleted in accordance with Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, before publication of the final Electoral Roll of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency. 

We are also enclosing herewith the names of the voters whose names have been deleted from the electoral roll of the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency.

          We also request the Election Commission to conduct the Elections only after preparation of the Electoral roll in the manner prescribed above so as to ensure the independence of the Election Commission with regard to the conduct of the by-election to the Pennagaram Assembly Constituency.

          Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Copy to:           

Thiru Naresh Gupta, I.A.S.,

Additional Chief Secretary and

Chief Electoral Officer,

Secretariat,
Chennai-600 009.