Jayalalithaa seeks Chidambaram's resignation

Accusing Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram of getting himself elected to the Parliament through what she called ‘ fraudulent means’, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday demanded his resignation.

Addressing a press conference after meeting the Prime Minister at his 7 Race Course Road residence here, Jayalalithaa said: "Our party has always maintained that Chidambaram''s victory was through fraudulent means...his continuance in the Union Council of Ministers is untenable."

"Chidambaram was never elected to Parliament in 2009. He has played a fraud on the nation. Our party candidate won the election," she said.

She said the data entry operator in the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu transferred votes secured by AIADMK candidate Raja Kannappan to Chidambaram''s credit in the 2009 general elections.

According to official records, Chidambaram, who was elected from Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, defeated AIADMK candidate Raja Kannappan by 3,354 votes.

According to reports, confusion prevailed as election officials delayed the declaration of result. The delay was due to a dispute in the counting of votes.

Officials had announced the leads through the public address system after each round of counting and Kannappan was ahead by a margin, which ranged from 673 to about 3,825 votes.

There was confusion when the final round was being counted with Chidambaram demanding re-tally after reports that Kannappan had won with a margin of over 3,000 votes.