Chennai: Painting a grim picture on the prevailing 'note for vote' culture in the bypoll scene in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, the BJP has alleged that the distribution of money is rampant in the constituency with some groups fanning out with a 'list' of families to offer cash.
Contending that there is no meaning in parties like the BJP contesting the byelection in the hope that it will be free and fair now, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said as her party members undertook door canvassing aiming to drum up people's support, they noticed groups going around with a “list in hand” to distribute cash for votes to the people.
“We commenced our poll campaign yesterday. And today we caught certain people distributing notes for votes red-handed. Money is being distributed unchecked and there is no use in us taking door canvassing”, she said.
The senior leader, who was joined by the party candidate for the by-election Karu Nagarajan besides scores of party members during a sudden road blockade agitation in the constituency on Saturday, said while “BJP appealed to the voters at their doorsteps to vote for change, believing in democracy, these people are giving notes for votes. If this continues there is no use in us contesting the byelection”, she added.
The BJP, which is an “informal ally of the ruling AIADMK”, blamed both the ruling party and the opposition DMK and TTV Dhinakaran group, too, for the present status and said, “They are not allowing people to think. People are being silenced with money. Election officials check our cars, but tokens are being distributed elsewhere for exchange of cash. Nothing is going to happen if the poll officials prevent outsiders from entering the constituency in the evening hours because money distribution happens in the morning”. There is no point in holding the elections if the election commission could not stop this menace, she added.
Hardening her stance on the election commission Dr. Tamilisai said, “if the election commission cannot prevent this and ensure a free and fair poll, it should accept its failure and don't conduct election at all.”
