EVKS accused of instigating voters to accept cash

The AIADMK on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission seeking action against Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, who is contesting from the Theni Lok Sabha seat, claiming that he instigated the public to accept cash for votes.

Quoting media reports, AIADMK spokesperson and advocate Babu Murugavel said the Congress candidate while addressing election rallies in Theni has been asking the public to accept Rs 5,000 cash from the AIADMK candidate.

Further, to bring disrepute to the AIADMK government and the party’s candidates, Elangovan has been levelling baseless scam allegations against the party, triggering confusion among public and party functionaries, he said.

The peaceful nature prevailing among the voters is disturbed due to the unethical style, which was a blatant violation of poll code, of campaigning by the Congress leader and Theni candidate, Murugavel said, adding that the EC must book Elangovan under three provisions of poll code violation – instigating violence and disrupting law and order, asking voters to accept cash for votes and levelling baseless allegations against the AIADMK candidate, O P Ravindranath.

Also, Corporation wards 170 and 174, coming under South Chennai, has witnessed new DMK posters in violation of the model code, the complaint said. After the civic authorities had removed the graffiti and posters, new bills have come up, he said, adding that the election department must register a case and act against the DMK functionaries behind such acts.

Meanwhile, a video of AIADMK’s Madurai Lok Sabha candidate Raj Sathyan campaigning during the postal votes rendered by government staff had also gone viral. The Public Elections Department has directed the Madurai district poll officials to look into the case.