A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to subject all candidates in the fray for the forthcoming Assembly election, in the State, to COVID-19 tests since they were widely roaming about their constituencies kissing infants, hugging elderly people and moving about very closely with the general public as part of their campaign.
The petition has been listed for admission before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on Tuesday. S.P.V. Paul Raj, an advocate from Alangulam in Tenkasi district had filed the case fearing that the candidates and their campaign might end up being a cluster for COVID-19 cases if they were allowed to move about freely without being tested negative for the virus.
To buttress his argument, the litigant pointed out that Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) candidates Santhosh Babu and V. Ponraj and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) deputy general secretary L.K. Sudhish and candidate Alagapuram Mohanraj had tested positive for COVID-19 after they began campaigning and had now been quarantined. Since a second wave appeared to have begun, ECI must subject compulsorily subject all candidates to test, he demanded.
