Stalin accuses BJP government of misusing poll panel

Addressing newspersons outside his father late Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence, Stalin said, “Anything can happen till Narendra Modi remains the Prime Minister. They have now started misusing the ECI to intimidate the Opposition parties, as did they with the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department. It has manifested in the form of countermanding of LS polls in Vellore.”

Responding to the I-T raid at his sister Kanimozhi’s residence in Thoothukudi, Stalin said, “It was done to intimidate and threaten the candidate, our party, our alliance party cadre and the booth agents. The DMK will not be cowed down by such threats.”

Stating that the election should have been countermanded in Theni constituency, the DMK president alleged that Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s son Ravindranath Kumar has splashed up to Rs 2,000 per vote. “The cash distribution was documented in video. Reports on the same are surfacing with evidence. However, no action has been initiated on the same thus far,” Stalin said, exuding confidence that the election would demonstrate that voters would not be swayed even if over Rs 10,000 was paid per vote.

Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition, said that it has now become imperative to reform the ECI in the coming days. Asked about Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s warning that irregularities were feasible in EVMs, Stalin said, “We have been saying the same for a long time. He has reiterated that. But, I am confident that people would deliver a fair verdict despite all this.”