HC upholds Vellore poll cancellation

Chennai, April 17

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The Madras High Court on Wednesday upheld the EC's decision cancelling the election in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore Lok Sabha constituency. 

A Bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad dismissed petitions filed by AIADMK-led alliance candidate AC Shanmugham, and an Independent, K Sugumar, seeking to set aside the order cancelling the election slated for Thursday. 

The EC had on Tuesday cancelled the polls in Vellore — one of the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state — over allegations of excess use of money power. 

President Ram Nath Kovind had rescinded the notification to hold election to the seat based on an EC recommendation after "black money" worth Rs 11.53 crore, allegedly linked to DMK candidate Kathir Anand, was seized by the Income Tax Department on the intervening night of March 29-30. The counsel for the EC also submitted a report in a sealed cover to the court. — PTI