DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Sunday made a sensational allegation against the ruling AIADMK, accusing it of distributing Rs 100 crore to the voters in RK Nagar, where assembly elections are due later this month. Stalin alleged that the AIADMK has paid Rs 6,000 to each voter with the help of the local police.
Stalin's claims come a day after Rs 13 lakh in cash was seized from a physiotherapy centre in RK Nagar on Saturday. Officials claimed it as the largest cash haul during this election.
The DMK leader has written to the Election Commission demanding action against AIADMK candidate E. Madhusudhanan and the erring officers.
Canvassing is in full swing in the assembly segment where the bypoll is to be held on December 21. Besides Madusudhanan, DMK's N. Maruthuganesh, sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V Dhinakaran, and some independents are in the fray for the bypoll, necessitated due to the death of J. Jayalalithaa, who represented the assembly segment, in December last year.
The bypolls were scheduled to be held in April, but were cancelled following allegations of cash distribution in the constituency. This time around, the EC has appointed nine observers for the bypoll, said to be the highest for an election in a single constituency.
RK Nagar poll authorities said Rs 6,34,400 cash was seized between November 24 and till December 16 which is exclusive of the Rs 13 lakh seizure. Till December 11, 95 FIRs were filed over poll related violations/offences and 15 people were remanded to judicial custody in this connection.
