Candidates in fray get taste of own medicine

Khammam: Flouting strictures, candidates attempted to hoodwink poll watchdogs to distribute money to lure voters across the district. However, a day after polling, the candidates, much to their dismay, found their own poll managers had siphoned off money, which runs into crores, without actually distributing it.

In several villages, it is reported, people were seen waiting for the second rung and ward-level leaders on Monday and Tuesday, without going to work, before Wednesday’s polling.

Barring the Left party candidates, they expected cash of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, from other parties. In the end their wait proved futile as none of the local leaders turned up to dole out money. On Thursday, candidates came to know that crores of rupees they had pumped in had not reached the target groups when some ward-level leaders grumbled before them.

Sources said that candidates made arrangements to the tune of anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 for each voter. Now they have started to fear that mismanagement may ruin their chances of winning the election. It is said that altogether major political parties have mobilised close to Rs 150 crores to cover seven Assembly segments in Khammam Lok Sabha constituency.

Meanwhile, other tactics nominees used to evade election observers have paid off to some extent. They issued post-dated cheques to middlemen which could be encashed after the polling. Funds have also been transferred through NEFT and RTGS to the accounts of middlemen. However, the use of such methods in rural areas has its limitation. Banks to some extent are also responsible for candidates getting away with illegal distribution of cash.

Despite the Election Commission urging banks to report instances of transactions and withdrawals of large  sum of money, the bankers are allegedly refraining from doing so due to fear of losing customers or to avoid the additional work, especially when they are faced with a staff crunch.