Chennai, Mar 12 (IANS): The DMK has requested the Election Commission to hold by-elections in all the 21 vacant Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu on April 18 and not just in 18 constituencies.

In a representation to the poll panel on Monday, copies of which was distributed to the media here on Tuesday, DMK President M.K.Stalin said there are no court orders restraining the holding of by-elections in Ottapidaram, Aravakurichi and Thiruparankundram.

"Mere pendency of an election petition is not a bar under law for conducting by-elections. In fact, the ECI itself has conducted several by-elections in the past when election petitions are pending," he said in the representation.

The DMK has also moved the Supreme Court, which on Tuesday agreed to hear its plea. The bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi agreed to hear the matter on March 16 as senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the plea for an urgent hearing.

Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi are vacant since September 2017 when the sitting members were disqualified by Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, while Thiruparankundram fell vacant on August 3, 2018 after the death of sitting lawmaker A.K. Bose.

On March 10, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told the media that the by-election will be held only in 18 vacant Assembly constituencies and not in Ottapidaram, Thiruparankundram and Aravakuruchi as they are locked in judicial battles.