PMK, CPI seek action against candidates responsible for cancellation of polls

Chennai: In the wake of the Election Commission of India announcing dates for the polls in three assembly seats including Thiruparakundram, PMK and CPI on Tuesday sought action against the political party candidates who had indulged in money distribution to voters, in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur assembly seats that led to the cancellation of the election in June this year.

The assembly constituencies — Aravakurichi and Thanjavur — have the dubious distinction of being the first ever seats in the country where the election commission of India had cancelled the polls because of candidates indulged in luring of voters with money and other emoluments, PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss said in a statement.

For distributing money to the voters, 58 cases were booked in Aravakurichi and 10 cases in Thanjavur but nobody was punished yet, he said. The announcement of dates for the election would only result in the murder of democracy and help money power to win the election yet again, he said. "The commission should debar the AIADMK and DMK candidates in the two constituencies for distributing money to the voters. If such action is not possible through the act or procedure, the ECI should take up electoral reforms. Till then, elections to three constituencies including Thanjavur and Aravakurichi should be indefinitely postponed," he said.

CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan demanded the election commission to debar the candidates who had indulged in the money distribution in the Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies that led to the cancellation of the elections. "The EC had announced the election was cancelled due to irregularities. But it did not name the candidates or the party to which they belong. If the same candidates were allowed to contest again, they will repeat the irregularities. There is a provision to debar the candidate indulged in the distribution of money. The candidates who violated norms should be punished," he said.