Chennai: Violence broke out in most parts of the state between cadres of AIADMK, DMK and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam over alleged irregularities in the election process of Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies on Monday.
A case has been registered against Thirumayam DMK MLA S. Ragupathy and other party cadres in Pudukottai near Tiruchy on charge of disrupting the work of officials engaged in election work. The clash erupted took place in Dhamapuri, Krishnagiri, Cuddalroe, Villupuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Theni, Madurai, Kanyakumari and other districts over the issue.
The DMK cadres have alleged that the candidates belonged to ruling AIADMK only were permitted to file their nomination papers for various posts in the election under the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act.
The candidates belonging to all other parties were not permitted to contest in polls. The officials have not even issued the nomination papers to other party candidates. Officials and police were extending support only to the ruling AIADMK responsible for irregularities. The officials have not accepted the nomination papers from DMK, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, CPI, CPI (M) and other parties.
After a PIL to stall the election process was dismissed by the Madurai bench of Madras High court recently, the DMK sought Governor Banwarilal Purohit to intervene in matter and to conduct free and fair elections. The party sought direction to accept all the valid nominations filed by the DMK’s candidates. The party also sought to defer the cooperative polls. CPI (M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan also accused the officials of conniving with the ruling party and rejected the nominations filed by opposition parties.
AIADMK and TTV Dhinakaran supporters clashed in Madurai, Theni and other districts over filing nominations for the first phase of the cooperative societies’ election. Meanwhile, a batch of petitions filed before the Madras high court on Monday. The hearing on these petitions would come up on Tuesday.
