Chennai: A day after Election Commission of India issued notices to heads of AIADMK and DMK, for allegedly violating model code of conduct with regard to their poll manifestos, AIADMK has sent its reply to the Commission. However, DMK has sought more time to respond.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Sunday, Chief Electoral Officer, Rajesh Lakhoni said the AIADMK sent its reply through e-mail. “The DMK has requested more time for response. Matter is under Commission’s consideration,” he said.
On Saturday, the ECI had issued show cause notices to AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi for allegedly violating model code. The ECI stated that their parties’ election manifestos did not “substantially” fulfil its guidelines.
The notices had said that prima facie the manifestos of the two parties “have not substantially fulfilled the guidelines of the Commission”. The ECI gave them time till 5 pm on Sunday to respond.
The EC had warned that if the parties failed to respond to the show cause notice, it would initiate further appropriate action against the parties without further reference to them.
The show cause notices were issued based on complaints from people regarding the election manifestos. In the briefing, Lakhoni justified deferring the poll to Aravakurichi Assembly Constituency.
He said booth agents will be prevented from using cellphones during the polling.
Lakhoni said three containers having currencies to the tune of '570 crore, which were seized by the flying squad, have been kept under proper security cover in Tiruppur.
State Bank of India has submitted documents supporting the claim for the currencies and investigation still going on. The voters who had not received their booth slips can cast their vote by showing any one of 12 documents to the election officials in the concerned polling booth.
So far, 101 cases have been registered in connection with alleged violation of moral code of conduct and 102 persons were arrested.
