AIADMK and BJP have objected to the inclusion of alliance party leaders in TVK’s list of star campaigners.
Opposing the inclusion of leaders of other parties in TVK’s list of star campaigners, AIADMK MP Inbathurai said, "Vaiko, Thirumavalavan, and Manickam Tagore are leaders of separate political parties. On what legal basis have they been included in the list of star campaigners of another party, TVK?
According to the Election Commission’s guidelines, only a member of one’s own party can be appointed as a star campaigner for a party.
Moreover, the list of star campaigners must be submitted to the Election Commission within 7 days of the election notification. Since that deadline has now passed, they can no longer apply afresh on behalf of their parties and obtain permission in their own names to claim the expense exemption under Section 77.
If they are permitted to campaign for TVK candidates as their own party leaders or as leaders of alliance parties, the star campaigner expense exemption will no longer apply to them.
Therefore, as per Election Commission rules, the entire relevant campaign expenses incurred by them must be included in the election expense accounts of TVK candidates; that is the law.
"If their campaign expenses are not included in the accounts of TVK candidates in this manner, or if this causes the legal election expenditure limit of TVK candidates to be exceeded, then it is clear legal position that this constitutes a corrupt practice under Section 123(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," he noted.
Meanwhile, in a statement opposing the TVK star campaigners list, BJP state secretary Karate Thiagarajan said, "For campaigning in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections, the TVK star campaigners list includes names of leaders from other parties such as Congress leader Manickam Tagore, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, Durai Vaiko, IUML leader Kader Mohideen, and VCK MP Ravikumar, Vanni Arasu, and Chinthanai Selvan, along with Chief Minister Vijay."
As far as star campaigners are concerned, Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act clearly states that only leaders belonging to the respective party can be declared as star campaigners.
When the law’s provision clearly says this, the Tamil Nadu Election Commission has recognized the list submitted by TVK, which contains 40 star candidates, as TVK’s star campaigners, even though that list includes names of leaders from other parties.
This has turned the Tamil Nadu Election Commission into a mockery of the election code of conduct. It has created the impression that the Election Commission, which is supposed to act according to the law, is being mocked along with the law itself, and is functioning in support of the ruling party, TVK. This is strongly condemnable.
It has raised doubts about whether the by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, which may be held in Tamil Nadu, will be conducted fairly and impartially.
Already, in a similar case, a controversy arose when the Aam Aadmi Party declared a person who was not its member as a star candidate, and later the position emerged that a person who is not a party member cannot be a star campaigner.
Therefore, he also noted that the list of star campaigners of TVK, which has been approved by the Tamil Nadu Election Commission, should be immediately canceled."