Chennai, Dec 28 (IANS) The Election Commission Monday announced that the by-poll to the Pennagaram assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, to be held Jan 20, had been postponed following demands in this regard by the major opposition parties in the state.
The ruling DMK and its ally Congress, however, expressed their opposition to the postponement contending that this was never done after the poll schedule has been announced.

The new date has not been announced so far.

The state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) Naresh Gupta had earlier announced the by-poll would be held Jan 20.

But in an all-party meeting Sunday, various parties like the AIADMK, MDMK, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and PMK, demanded that the poll be postponed as it would clash with the Pongal festival and the assembly session that would start Jan 6.

They also said the Election Commission had declared the poll date in “undue haste” within 21 days of the death of sitting legislator P.N. Periannan (DMK).

The ruling DMK had announced that Periannan’s son, P.N.P. Inbasekaran was its candidate and assigned poll duties to its ministers, legislators and other party cadres.

For DMK, which has 99 legislators in the assembly excluding the speaker, winning the Pennagaram seat is important to touch the magic 100 figure in the 234-member house.