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Decision on Jaya nominations
right, says Jethmalani

Former Union minister Ram Jethmalani said Tuesday that the decision of the returning officers in four assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, rejecting the nomination papers of AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha, was right.

He said the Election Commission directive to the returning officers was well within the constitutional framework.

"I have heard about the rejection of her nomination papers from all four assembly constituencies. The papers were rejected by the returning officers in view of the Election Commission guidelines of 1998 (no person convicted by a court for more than two years can contest elections for six years from the day of conviction)," he said.

Jethmalani said the AIADMK supremo could not move the apex court to challenge the constitutional validity of the orders of the returning officers.

"No court, including the Supreme Court, has the powers to interfere with the election procedure. Once the process has been set into motion, the orders of the Election Commission can be challenged only after completion of the elections. She can move the apex court only after the polls in Tamil Nadu are over," he explained.

Constitutional expert K K Venugopal refused to comment on the issue, arguing that since he has been occasionally representing Jayalalitha, it would not be proper for him to comment.

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