BackRK Nagar bypolls: Complaints of cash, gift distribution abound, EC takes action
EC transfers police officials amid complaints of distribution of cash and gifts ahead of RK Nagar bypolls in Tamil Nadu
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Chennai: Political parties in Tamil Nadu have begun to blame each other as the Election Commission (EC) continues to transfer officials amid complaints of widespread distribution of cash and gifts ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll.
As of Wednesday, EC had received over 550 complaints, over 100 FIRs have been filed, more than 40 people have been arrested and nearly Rs15 lakh has been seized, according to the EC.
While the EC on Wednesday evening ordered the transfer of 22 police officials, including four IPS officers who were posted within the constituency, Election Commission of India’s director (expenditure) Vikram Batra is slated to visit Chennai on Thursday in order to coordinate with other enforcement agencies to “ensure a fair by-election", said the commission.
On 25 March, the EC had transferred Chennai police commissioner S. George and replaced him with Karan Singha, following the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) complaint that he was biased towards the ruling Edappadi K. Palaniswami government.
The RK Nagar constituency goes to poll on 12 April.
On Wednesday, leaders of almost all political parties visited chief electoral officer (CEO) Rajesh Lakhoni, demanding action.
“Money distribution goes unabated in RK Nagar. The two factions of AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and DMK are engaged in the act. If election can’t be conducted in a fair manner, let it be postponed," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Tamilisai Soundararajan.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM demanded disqualification of AIADMK(Amma) candidate T.T.V. Dinakaran, saying postponing the by-election would not be the right solution. The DMK alleged that both the factions of the AIADMK—AIADMK (Amma) and AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma)—were involved in bribing.
O. Panneerselvam-led AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) faction has also filed complaints against the Dinakaran’s camp.
For the first time in the electoral history of India, during assembly elections in May last year, the EC after postponing polls on two occasions, cancelled it based on reports of large-scale distribution of money and gifts in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur assembly constituencies.
CPM state secretary G. Ramakrishnan alleged that cash distribution was done with the help of the police. DMK working president M.K. Stalin urged for “free and fair" elections after two DMK partymen sustained injuries, when they allegedly tried to stop money distribution by the AIADMK (Amma) members.
The EC has appointed as many as five observers—the highest-ever for a constituency in the country. Twelve assembly constituencies and three parliamentary constituencies are going to polls next week across the country. But none of the seats have such heavy deployment of officers as that in RK Nagar with deployment of 256 micro observers and additional 30 officers and micro observers in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the EC said.
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