The BJP’s Mayor candidate R. Nandhakumar on Monday alleged that more cash was seized from AIADMK activists during the late hours of Sunday. On Sunday the party had alleged that AIADMK activists were distributing money to voters at the Kavundampalayam Housing Unit here.
Mr. Nandhakumar said that money, and notebooks that carried names of voters had been seized by BJP activists from AIADMK functionaries.
The notebooks contain a list of voters. They were categorised according to their party affiliations. Based on this, Rs. 200, Rs. 500, and Rs. 1,000 were distributed, he said.
The BJP candidate claimed that many people have returned the money. Some voters seized the money, and the notebooks and gave it to us, he said.
He alleged that the AIADMK activists were telling voters that all development works will be stopped if the party’s candidate was not elected Mayor.
He accused the Transport Department officials of misusing department vehicles to bring people to Jayalalithaa’s election campaign in the city on Monday. The officials had asked private vehicles too to bring people to the venue.
The officials, and police on election duty were favouring the ruling party. They did not register a case against the AIADMK, even after an MLA threatened to kill me. So we are petitioning the District Collector to stop the by-election, Mr. Nandhakumar said.
District Collector Archana Patnaik told The Hindu that the petition has been forwarded to the Chief Electoral Officer, at Chennai, as requested by the petitioners.
“Regarding the distribution of cash to voters, we have asked the control rooms of the Returning Officer and the police to initiate necessary action,” she added.
There are unconfirmed reports that a four-wheeler of an AIADMK functionary was damaged by some unidentified persons who stole the cash from the vehicle at Rathnapuri in the city on Monday. The police said that they had not received any complaint.
