Opposition wants EC to disqualify Madhusudhanan

While the cash-for-vote charges had reached a feverish pitch since Friday night, Stalin observed that the AIADMK had distributed money to the tune of Rs100 crore and more fixing nearly Rs 6,000 per vote.

“DMK party workers and public had caught the AIADMK men in the act with Rs 20 crore. But, the police misreported it as if a few lakhs of rupees have been seized. The Election Commission has also not disclosed to the public the actual amount,” Stalin charged.

Reeling out a long list of complaints filed by party functionaries to his credit, Stalin rued that now the party had to stage protests to force the police to act.

He alleged that the cops were working overtime to rescue the AIADMK cadre caught bribing voters. He added that the party had already made representations to the Election Commission to transfer 11 senior cops, who work hand-in-glove with the AIADMK men.

Besides disqualifying Madhusudhanan, Stalin demanded appropriate and necessary action against the AIADMK and the erring officials to ensure that the election is conducted in a free and fair manner.

AIADMK North Chennai district secretary and sidelined leader turned independent candidate TTV Dinakaran supporter P Vetrivel seconded the views of Stalin and stated that money had reached almost all pockets of the constituency.

“The ruling party complained to the EC that we were distributing cookers. While the poll officials were busy verifying that complaint, the ruling party had doled out cash to the electorate,” he added.

“The Ministers had stored the cash in offices that come under their purview. They had stashed cash in RTO office, Cholera Hospital, Peripheral Hospital and Cooperative Store. Instead of focusing to serve the people, the ruling dispensation is turning to scientific means of stashing money and distributing it to the people,” he said.

Refuting the Opposition’s charges, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that the Opposition is spreading canards against the ruling party as they fear a defeat. “They attack our cadre and circulate false alarms to the EC,” the AIADMK MP added.

As regards cash-for-votes, the leader maintained that it was the handiwork of the Opposition who sport AIADMK bordered dhotis and pretend to be bribing. “The media also falls for the same. Once they get the coverage, they route the complaint to the EC. They have been deliberately running this smear campaign,” Thambidurai noted.