Official’s stern warning on bribing of voters

The senior official was in Tiruchy on Monday to review election preparations in all the three segments. He said, “In an initiative to curb distribution of cash for votes, paramilitary force have been deployed and they have intensified patrol and scrutiny in all the three constituencies.” Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha told the reporters that the Election Commission was keen on conducting free and fair polls in the three seats. He said that so far, the Election Commission have not received any major complaints of cash distribution in the poll-bound constituencies. 

“A discussion meeting will be held with the respective district administration and representatives of various political parties. A detailed discussion will also be held on the offense of cash distribution in these meetings,” Sinha said. “Last time, when the cash distribution charges were proved, the election was put off for Thanjavur and Aravakurichi,” Sinha said. “If cash distribution was found this time too, the Election Commission will never hesitate to initiate similar action,” he warned. Sinha was accompanied by Director General of Election Expenditure Dilip Sharma, Director of Election Commission Dhirendra Ojha and Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni. The Deputy Election Commissioner convened a discussion meeting with the officials from Karur and Madurai district administrations and police department. Sinha also released a Rs 5 postal stamp on compulsory voting and 100 per cent polling. 

With only four more days to go for polling the respective district administration had tightened security and geared up the machinery for the elections.  At Tiruparankundram, following complaints from the public and political parties other than the major Dravidian parties, the Madurai Collector K Veera Raghav Rao has increased the number of flying squads in the district. All the vehicles were fitted with GPS and their movements would be monitored. As soon a complaint was received, the flying squad officials would reach the spot and would carry out investigations said the Collector. A lot of people have been using the toll free number to lodge complaints. 

Nearly 109 cases were booked against various political party cadres and people from who amount were ssdeized. However, out of the total 109 cases only three were booked for cash seizures. Remaining cases were booked against people who violated the model code of conduct. Nearly, 38 cases were booked against AIADMK cadre and 23 cases were booked against DMK cadre. In total 11 persons were arrested in connection with the cases. Rs 4.03 crores in cash were seized till Monday by the election officials said the Collector and added that apart from cash, valuables including gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 1.27 crores were also seized.

Police arrested two cadres each from AIADMK and DMK for reportedly attempting to circulate money for votes in Thanjavur constituency and a cash of Rs 6.46 lakh with old Rs 500 denominations was recovered from them and later was deposited in the treasury.

A flying squad spotted them at Keezhavasal Kuruchi Street. When questioned two persons from the group threw Rs 1.80 lakh and fled the spot. They were secured by the squad. M Balasubramanian (40) of Perambalur district and K Chakravarthi (61) of Udayarpalayam in Ariyalur of DMK were reportedly camping in Thanjavur to distribute money for votes. The squad recovered Rs 82,000 from Balasubramanian and Rs 44,000 from Chakravarthi. Another flying squad at EB Colony in Nanchikottai on Monday secured an AIADMK cadre M Thiruselvam (45) for possessing Rs 2.90 lakh. Late on Sunday, the paramilitary force personnel chased an AIADMK cadre on suspicion and seized a sum of Rs 50,000.

Meanwhile, Stalin campaigning in Tiruparankundram claimed “After the introduction of ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes large number of vans from a bungalow near Mahabalipuram are moving to Delta districts with the help of Police.”  He also questioned the authenticity of the letter released in the name of CM J Jayalalithaa. He said that the letter had no reference of the ongoing struggle of people in the currency ban issue and hence there is a strong suspicion that whether she had written the letter on her own.

The Madras High Court has dismissed a plea seeking to postpone the elections to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur citing the ongoing demonetisation.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan dismissed the plea after holding that “We do not believe that demonetisation process has any impact on the election process, if at all it reduces the play of money.” The petitioner AA Saidk Ali, president, Forum for Election Integrity, had submitted that both the AIADMK and DMK candidates have sound source of money and there are a lot of chances that they would use the ensuing election to convert the black money in their possession to valuable notes. He said since the process of converting cancelled notes into new ones exist until December end, the elections scheduled for November 19 ought to be postponed to a date beyond December 31. Supreme Court Advocate KTS Tulsi who appeared on behalf of Sadik, submitted that voters can’t identify the validity of the currencies issued, prompting the Chief Justice to ask: “You mean to say that the voters won’t vote until they are paid.” Tulsi noted that there are SC directives mandating that EC can conduct election only after concluding enquiries on disqualifying candidates to the Election if any. To a pointed argument that the two major political parties cannot be allowed to nominate the same persons as candidates, who had caused the cancellations of the elections, the Chief Justice said “that’s a moral issue. The parties in their wisdom have nominated the same candidates.”

HC has directed the Election Commission to file an affidavit within four weeks about the amounts spent by it in the May 16 poll process at Aravakurichi and Thanjavur, which were subsequently cancelled. The first bench, while hearing a plea seeking to recover the money spent in the election process from the delinquent candidates, said “The EC may file an affidavit setting forth the amounts expended towards these constituencies so that the amount is quantified and later, it may be debated whether the amount can be recovered from the candidates or not.” Also, the bench on recording the submission of ASG that cash seizure made in Thanjavur and Aravakurichi was deposited in the permanent deposit account, directed EC to conclude the enquiry within the time sought and place the result before them in a sealed cover. M Baskaran, PMK candidate for Aravakurichi moved the plea.