ECI recommendation to restrict candidacy from one constituency or collect bypoll expenses from the candidates yet to be implemented, says Madras High Court

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had in its 2004 proposal for electoral reforms recommended that no candidate should be allowed to contest elections from more than one constituency at a time. Yet, the law related to the subject is yet to be amended and it continues to permit individuals to contest from two constituencies, the Madras High Court highlighted on Tuesday.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan pointed out that the ECI, in its 2024 proposal, had also stated that if dual constituency candidacy had to be continued, then the candidates concerned must be asked to bear the expenses for the byelections if they happened to vacate one of the two seats after winning from both.