DMK alleges official-ruling party nexus

DMK working president MK Stalin told the media on Wednesday after visiting three party men, who were reportedly attacked by rival party cadre on Tuesday, at Stanley hospital that all this might be ploy to stop the elections given that AIADMK(A) feared defeat. 

Constantly referring to Dinakaran’s faction as the ‘FERA’ group and the OPS faction as the ‘sand mafia’ group, the DMK working president said his party men were injured when they objected to Dinakaran’s men trying to distribute money to voters. He said the issue would be raised with the Election Commission while legal steps would also be initiated. 

Stating that there were six police stations in RK Nagar, he said 28 complaints were lodged with the H6 police station (KK Nagar police station at Tondiarpet) by the DMK on this issue. Nearly, Rs 1 crore illicit money had been seized he said and added that Rs 9.80 lakh was seized on Tuesday alone.

Calling on the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls, he said even if the EC wanted to ensure this, local officials and police, who were hand in glove with the ruling party, defeated its efforts. Cautioning that the DMK knew who those officials were, he said the DMK would act against them when it assumes power. Stalin said that he had personally informed CEO Rajesh Lakhoni, DEO and Greater Chennai Corporation Special Officer D Karthikeyan and the police commissioner of the malpractice happening there. “But there has been no action till date” he added.

It may be recalled that the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) coordinator Seeman too had expressed similar views when he spoke to the media in the constituency. He said that officials always claimed that they had arrested all those who indulged in malpractice. But it was only news and never was any person who was arrested had been exposed. 

Meanwhile, special officer Karthikeyan told newsmen that he had received 19 complaints of attempts to bribe voters, based on which 15 persons were arrested. Karthikeyan also oversaw the names of candidates being fed into EVMs. Work on providing video coverage to all polling booths has also started.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva after meeting Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi informed the media that “we want open polls.” 

Stating that he had given a complaint on behalf of his party about 45,000 bogus voters in the constituency, he said the DMK demanded that police officials should be shifted. The CEC promised to do the needful, Siva said and added that 25 persons were arrested for attempts to bribe voters. AIADMK (PTA) member and RS MP Dr S Maitreyan also complained to the EC that social media pages operated by the Dinakaran faction continued to use the frozen ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. 

Meanwhile, the Chennai Collector has ordered that all TASMAC shops in the by-poll segment should be closed for 4 days from April 10.