JOIN USThe Election Commission (EC) defered polling in Aravakurichi constituency in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu stating that the situation there is “seriously vitiated” due to unlawful activities of candidates and political parties by “bribing” voters.
Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni told DH: “From the very early stages of the notification of the election, the commission started receiving complaints in large numbers with regard to the distribution of money and other gifts in the form of consumable items to the electors by candidates and political parties in the fray”.
Listing various incidents where the voters were bribed, the commission said that voting shall now take place on May 23, instead of May 16, and the counting of votes shall take place on May 25. The date before which the election in the constituency shall be completed is also extended up to May 31.
According to Chief Election Commissioner Naseem Zaidi, 7 FIRs have been registered in Aravakurichi. “In one of these FIRs, the complaint was that a person was distributing money to some people and when the officials reached the spot, the person fled from the scene with Rs 68,000,” he said.
Further he said, 429 litres of liquor has been seized in the constituency and 33 complaints of money distribution have been registered.