Chennai: The Election Commission of India has “partially rescinded” the election in the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency in the state, following massive cash haul by the Income Tax sleuths.
Tuesday’s cancellation has come two days ahead of the poll date. Vellore becomes the first constituency in India where a Lok Sabha election has been cancelled because of cash-for-votes.
In April 2017 and May 2016, the election to Tamil Nadu’s R. K. Nagar Assembly constituency; and Aravakurichi and Thanjavur was deferred owing to largescale distribution of cash-for-votes.
The ECI’s announcement on Tuesday was based on a report submitted by the Income Tax department on the cash seized in Vellore. Two weeks ago, over Rs 11 crore was seized from a cement godown, belonging to a local DMK functionary.
The EC had written to the President Ram Nath Kovind, recommending a cancellation. The President in turn had asked the law ministry for its opinion. On Tuesday evening, the President gave his assent to cancel the election in Vellore.
“On the basis of recommendations of Election Commission of India, the honourable President is pleased to partially rescind the notification dated March 19, 2019, in so far as it relates to calling upon 8-Vellore parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu to elect a member to Lok Sabha and accordingly made the amendment in the said notification,” said EC in a statement.
As per the ECs final order, “The commission is fully satisfied that the current electoral process in 8-Vellore parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu has been seriously vitiated on account of unlawful activities of certain candidates and some members/workers of the political party and in the Commission’s considered opinion, allowing the current electoral process to proceed and conducting the poll in the said constituency on 18th April 2019, as scheduled, in such a vitiated atmosphere would severely jeopardise the conduct of free and fair election in said constituency.”
