Chennai, April 14: Tamil Nadu went to polls on Wednesday under the shadow of a blatant show of money power to influence voters. There were reports of rampant distribution of lucre through Monday and Tuesday nights by various political parties, with the ruling DMK more under the limelight.
The distribution of money happended despite the strict vigil the Election Commission had kept on the money spent in this election. In fact, Madurai was monitored by the poll panel’s handpicked Collector who took on the money might of Union Chemical Minister MK Alagiri — the man who introduced the ‘Tirumangalam formula’ to win election.
A vote has cost the parties between `200 and `1,000; in the rural areas between `200 and `500, while in the urban regions the cost was between `500 and `1,000. In some regions, the parties even gave away `2,000 to an individual voter.
For instance, in Ramanathapuram district the money distribution happened on Monday night under the cover of a power-cut. Each voter was given a token/coupon with the party symbol worth `200. Once a voter cast his/her vote would go back to the party agent who gave the cash of `200. It is said that the people’s mood was antagonistic until the money began to arrive on Monday night.
In Madurai, a lady NGO official was caught red-handed while distributing money. Certain party workers are entrusted with the duty of distributing money. Money was either distributed in the folds of the newspapers with the party symbol or it arrived by courier. Money was found stuck to posters on the walls of houses. Depending on the area, people here too received `200 to `1,000 per vote.In Kolathur in north Chennai, where MK Stalin was locked in a fierce battle with the AIADMK leader Saidai S Duraisamy, `1,000 was distributed in all houses after 12 midnight of Tuesday/Wednesday. In one house where only `500 was given, a resident asked why the amount was low when the prevailing rate in the neighbourhood was `1,000.
In the neighbouring Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar constituency in one house when `500 was given, the head of the family pointed out that there were five voters in the family and so `2,500 should be given. The party worker on distribution duty promised to get the rest of the money, but never returned. In Mylapore constituency of south Chennai where Tamil Nadu where State Congress president KV Thangkabalu is contesting, some voters disappointed by `300 per vote clearly said that the amount was not enough for the vote.
The daring cash flow defying the EC warning to postpone or countermand election has been reported from all constituencies in the State. In some places free gifts or freebies replaced the cash for votes. To the credit of some voters, money was returned to the parties which paid the bribes.
——–Agencies