Oommen Chandy slams ‘cash for vote’ in Kollam

Kollam: AICC general secretary and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday alleged that the LDF was in for ‘cash for vote’ in Kollam engaging an event management company to distribute money to voters in exchange for votes in a first in the history of the state.

Chandy also demanded action on a petition filed by the UDF election committee convener to the electoral officer, police, and election commission against the alleged move by the LDF.

“No action has been taken even after the issue was brought to notice by the concerned leaders in Kollam. The CPM will give the list of people and the money is delivered by the event management company based in Kozhikkode. The move will be a heavy blow to the democratic system existing for the past seven decades,” Chandy said in a press note.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, termed the allegation to be childish. “The UDF candidate in Kollam who is ready to join the BJP camp will be defeated in the election. It should be seen how long he would continue in the UDF.  It is quite sure that the BJP supporters in the constituency will trade vote in favour of Premachandran. That is why prominent Congress leaders in Kollam including DCC president Bindu Krishna is abstaining from election work,” Issac said in Kollam.

The UDF had earlier come up with ‘cash for vote’ allegation against LDF candidate K.N. Balagopal saying the Front was trying to distribute money to cashew workers with the help of a local MLA expecying some 10,000 votes.

It was also alleged that an event management company has deployed its employees in three batches of 70 people each to distribute the money, ‘sabotaging’ the systems of democracy.

RSP central committee member Shibu Baby John of the UDF alleged the money was sourced from a private cashew owner in Kollam.