Chennai: Having tried every trick to bribe voters, the high-profile candidates seeking election from the RK Nagar constituency turned to children to win over voters. As a last resort, these candidates are using children as money mules to hand out currency to the voters, who are already drowned in cash and gifts.
While complaints have been pouring in pertaining to cash-for-votes flooding the constituency over the last two days, there was high drama on Sunday as well. On receiving a tip-off, election officials and RK Nagar police apprehended a woman named Selvi, who was allegedly distributing money to voters in Thiruvalluvar Nagar at Korukkupet and confiscated all the money she was carrying.
Soon, tension prevailed near RK Nagar police station as ‘colleagues’ of Selvi blocked road demanding her release. While police and election officials feigned ignorance about Selvi’s political affiliation, Minister Kadambur Raju said that she is a supporter of independent candidate TTV Dinakaran.
Meanwhile, a resident of RK Nagar, who has been accompanying a candidate during door-to-door campaigning, said that candidates are using all possible ways to distribute money to voters. “Now, candidates are using children from the age of 10 to 17 to distribute money to voters. When party workers give out money, it will become noticeable. So they are using children from the locality”, the resident who requested anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle.
Self-help groups used to distribute money to voters
Children could give money to voters in a flash and run away, the source said. Some residents of RK Nagar also confided that the ruling party is using self-help groups to distribute money. Adding to the high drama, a video showing former MLA Vetrivel, a staunch supporter of TTV Dinakaran, giving money to a woman during an election campaign surfaced on social media. The video shows TTV Dinakaran cuddling a baby before Vetrivel hands over money to the child’s mother.
While politicians are busy wooing RK Nagar with cash and gifts, ground level officers of election department on Sunday, conducted SVEEP activities asking voters to perform their democratic duty on polling day. Even as allegations flew thick and fast, the war of words between major parties continued on Sunday. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, after attending a meeting conducted by special CEO Vikram Batra, dismissed allegations of the influencing voters by the ruling party. “The opposition is raising allegations for fear of defeat in the election”, he said.
However, lashing out at election department and police department, DMK working president M.K. Stalin said the Election Commission and police are helping the ruling party in the byelection. He also said that CEO Rajesh Lakhoni does not take phone calls intended to complain about misconduct in RK Nagar. “Ruling party leaders are giving out money earned by betraying former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa”, TTV Dinakaran, who is also facing allegations of influencing voters, told a campaign rally, on Sunday.
