The Election Commission on Friday announced the date for the bye-election to Tamil Nadu’s Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency. The bye-election will be held on December 21, and votes will be counted on December 24. The model code of conduct comes into effect from Friday.

The announcement comes a day after the Election Commission restored the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s two-leaves symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam.

Ousted AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran, who led the other faction, said he would contest and win the election and take the two-leaves symbol back.

The RK Nagar seat fell vacant after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016. The poll panel had originally decided to hold the bye-poll in April, but cancelled it over allegations of parties bribing the electorate for votes.

Other constituencies

The Election Commission has also announced bye-elections in Uttar Pardesh’s Sikandra constituency, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke-Kasang and Likbali areas, and West Bengal’s Sabang seat on the same day. The constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, the commission said.

Nominations can be filed from November 27 till December 4. They will be scrutinised the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is December 7.

Electronic voting machines with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trial would be used in all the constituencies, the commission said.