Chennai: While cancelling the April 12 bypoll in the RK Nagar constituency, the Election Commission cited “systematic bribing” of voters as one of the major reasons for its decision.
The EC tore into the top leadership of political parties saying they cannot “feign ignorance” about such “illegal activities” indulged in by the candidates and poll managers.
In a 29-page stinging order that went into details of incidents of people being arrested for allegedly distributing money to voters, the EC came down heavily on the “huge and systematic design to distribute money to voters”, while it took pains to explain at length the measures taken by it in coordination with I-T department to prevent flow of money.
After marathon discussions through Sunday, the Election Commission, early Monday morning, decided to countermand the elections in RK Nagar and hold it another day when the atmosphere is conducive, saying the atmosphere was “so vitiated” that elections cannot be held now.
This is the third election that the EC is cancelling in Tamil Nadu in less than a year after rescinding the poll process in Thanjavur and Aravakurichi last May.
The EC, the report said, cannot help expressing its anguish over the “sordid state of affairs” as revealed in the reports by observers, I-T department and flying squads. It went on to say that the innovative ways by which the political parties and their leaders of the top echelons have devised to bypass the law, need to be dealt with by the enforcing authorities with a heavy hand.
“Some of the States have particularly excelled in innovating more and more subtle ways to circumvent the statutory provisions enacted by Parliament to curb the menace of money power in elections. The top leaderships of the parties cannot feign ignorance about such illegal activities being indulged in by the candidates set by their parties, and also the managers appointed by their parties to oversee the election campaigns of their candidates," the EC said in its order.
If not with their express consent, the EC said, it is with the tacit approval of political leaders that such undesirable activities are being indulged in by their candidates and electoral managers, which cannot be wished away.
As on April 7, an amount of Rs 18.80 lakh was seized and 35 FIRs were registered. “Apart from cash, various items such as lamps, T-shirts, silver plates, mobile phones and saris for distribution to workers, were also seized,” it said.
