Chennai, Oct 5 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu State election commissioner, S. Palanikumar is conducting virtual meeting of officials of all the nine districts where the first phase of rural local body polls are being held on October 6, Wednesday. The rural local body polls are being conducted in two phases on October 6 and October 9.
The AIADMK had filed a petition in the Madras High Court against the ruling DMK and its allies indulging in activities like spending money, liquor, and other freebies to the voters and the high court ordering the State election commission to conduct strict monitoring of the polls to prevent any unhealthy and corrupt practices.
A heavy police posse is deployed in all the nine districts and the police have rounded up history sheeters and anti-social elements who were earlier charge-sheeted and now out on bail.
The recent killings and beheadings at Tirunelveli have led to the DG of Police, C. Sylendra Babu holding high-level meetings of police personal at Madurai and Dindigul to check on the use of weapons like knives, machetes, and other such deadly metallic objects for purposes other than domestic and agricultural.
State police have also been directed to strictly monitor the circulation of liquor and money among the voters. There are reports that in districts like Kallakurichi and Tenkasi a panchayath president candidate spending more than 1 crore rupees. The money is spent for liquor, food, and gifts, and covers with cash were also distributed.
While the police and other agencies are monitoring the elections, local people said that money is being freely circulated and some families have even received money to the tune of Rs 10,000 per family.
Subramanian.S, a farmer in Tenkasi told BPNS, “ Money is being circulated and I am an AIADMK worker and we have already pointed out to the district and block level officers on money spent by the candidates including cash gifts and liquor on the voters.”
However, police officers said that the money circulation is curtailed and that there is very little money being circulated among the voters during the rural local body polls. A senior officer while speaking to BPNS said, “Money was spent in large numbers during all the elections in this part of the world but this time there has been strict monitoring by the police and the election commission and we have cut the supply to a large extent but there could be cases wherein it has happened but by and large the money circulation is reduced.”
The districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Vellore, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Tiruppatur, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi are going to two phases of polls for the rural local bodies on October 6 and October 9.
