RK Nagar seat could very well be auctioned: Pon Radhakrishnan

Chennai: Alleging that officials had remained mute spectators to the brazen distribution of money to voters in RK Nagar Assembly constituency here, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan accused both factions of the AIADMK and the opposition DMK of having distributed up to '1 lakh to each family in the constituency.

Taking strong exception to the Election Commission for not reining in the “irregularities” he said, “there cannot be any other shameful act. These parties indulged in the distribution under the very nose of paramilitary forces, police and election officials… Instead of conducting by-election here, the election officials could very well auction the seat,” he fumed.

The minister who had campaigned in the constituency said the money distribution had not been carried out in a clandestine manner but was conspicuously explicit and that too “under the very nose of paramilitary forces, police and the election officials.” Speaking to reporters he said the Election Commission of India had earned a good reputation in the world and had even taught the world how to hold the elections impartially. “But in Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission is facing a shameful situation. Instead of conducting such an election, election commission could as well auction the R. K. Nagar seat,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP lashed out at the AIADMK factions accusing them of getting desperate for power and stooping to an all time low level in politics.  Taking on both the AIADMK Amma (Sasikala faction) and AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (belonging to former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam), BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan said, “while one group gave away money during campaign, another faction campaigned with replica of Jayalalithaa's mortal remains. They want to win at any cost and have no concern for the people.”

She welcomed the income tax officials' raids and demanded many such raids at the residences of the leaders of both factions of AIADMK and DMK as “these parties are using money and muscle power to muzzle candidates of other political parties.”

Money distribution: Stalin wants CBI case on ministers

DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Saturday demanded the resignation of the state cabinet under Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami for its involvement in the distribution of cash for votes in RK Nagar bypoll.

He said the CBI should file cases against the ministers who resorted to distribution of cash for votes and take steps to disqualify them from contesting elections in future. He cited a document seized by I-T officials to prove that ministers and Chief Minister were involved in distribution of cash to voters and said the DMK lost the 2016 Assembly elections by a margin of one per cent votes due to money distribution of the ruling party.