Chennai: As the campaign drew to a close on Saturday for the October 21 Assembly by-elections from Vikravandi and Nanguneri constituencies in Tamil Nadu, the main opposition DMK has alleged that the ruling AIADMK was misusing official machinery to distribute cash to voters in both the constituencies in a bid to “win the by-elections at any cost”.
DMK's legal wing secretary Girirajan told reporters here that he has given a representation to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Satyabrata Sahoo, on behalf of his party about the desperate cash-for-votes-bid witnessed in the eleventh hour in both the constituencies, allegedly at the behest of AIADMK.
Girirajan alleged that the ruling party men were distributing cash through officials of the Tamil Nadu Highways department moving about in government vehicles in both Vikravandi and Nanguneri. The DMK's complaint to the CEO has been enclosed with evidence of cash distribution, he added.
Already, the CEO is seized of a case of seizure of Rs.2.87 lakh cash from the house of a DMK functionary in Nanguneri constituency. Sahoo had said on Friday that on the basis of the police, income-tax and district election officer's reports, the next course of action on the issue will be taken. Sahoo had also said an FIR has been lodged regarding a complaint of cash distribution by a DMK MLA.
Asked about the cash seizure in Nanguneri, fisheries minister and AIADMK senior. D. Jayakumar said the people themselves have been vigilant and stopped the cash distribution there. “The Tirumangalam formula was conceived by the DMK years back and they have been systematically practicing it in subsequent elections,” countered Jayakumar.
Jayakumar said though the DMK won the Lok Sabha polls giving “false promises”, the Vellore LS poll was an eye-opener. The DMK won it by a small margin, which “is a turning point of resurgence for the AIADMK,” the minister said, adding, the AIADMK was confident of winning both the by-polls.
