ECI cash for vote row : Palaniswami says case has been registered

A day after the media reported that Election Commission of India (ECI) asked to register an FIR against persons who were involved in bribing the voters at R K Nagar by-poll, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palanisami on Monday said a case has been filed with regard to the ECI issue.

"A case has been registered after obtaining permission from the Metropolitan Magistrate court. Investigation is going on", Palaniswami told the House soon after the Opposition DMK members raised the issue and wanted to discuss in the Assembly.

However, the chief minister did not disclose the name of the persons who were mentioned in the FIR.

Soon after the walkout from the Assembly, Stalin told reporters that he was not satisfied with the answer given by Palaniswami in the ECI issue. "We need detail explanation from the chief minister. We will again raise the issue in the House", he added.

The DMK leader also demanded immediate resignation of Palaniswami so that the police could do its duty freely.

Earlier, soon after the question hour the DMK created ruckus after Speaker Dhanapal refused to allow them take up the ECI issue.  Immediately, the DMK members led by Stalin staged walkout from the House.

The ECI has ordered to register an FIR against the person, who were allegedly involved in the cash for votes allegation during the high-profile R K Nagar by-elections.

ECI's initiative was revealed in a reply to a RTI application filed by an advocate Vairakannan, who asked the Commission that what action has been proposed to take against Palaniswami, Electricity minister P Thangamani, Education minister K A Sengottiyan, Health minister Vijaya Bhaskar, Co-operative minister Sellur Raju and AIADMK Amma candidate for R K Nagar by-poll TTV Dhinakaran for allegedly misconduct of distributing money to the voters in R K Nagar.

The ECI, in its reply dated May 25, 2017, which was circulated in the media and as well as showed in various TV channels, said "the commission has directed that an FIR may be filed by the returning officer".