Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan asks election commission for oath on ethical voting

Chennai: BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan filed her nomination papers for the Virugambakkam Assembly constituency in the city in style accompanied by a Dalit voter from her constituency. She also demanded the election commission to make it mandatory for candidates to take oath that they will not bribe voters.

The senior leader was accompanied by three of her party colleagues and Meera, a Dalit voter from Vijayaraghavapuram in Virugambakkam to show her solidarity with the people of her constituency for submitting her papers. “My pleasant surprise when the election officials informed me that candidates filing their nominations could take an oath on ethical voting, turned into shock when the officials said the oath was optional,” she said.

Speaking to this correspondent after filing her papers on Thursday, Dr Tamilisai while lauding the election commission’s initiative to introduce oath on ethical voting, said this should be made mandatory. “A per the oath the candidate swears that he or she will not allure voters with money or gifts to enhance his or her prospects at the hustings.

This is a novel and pragmatic initiative and should be mandatory,” she said and added that those with conscience would abide by it. Meanwhile, BJP candidate for Mylapore Karu Nagarajan too filed his papers.