Chennai: With the election commission surveillance teams failing to curb the distribution of cash for votes in high stakes RK Nagar, political parties have formed micro management teams to nab those distributing cash for votes.
DC's periodic visits to RK Nagar revealed that all popular candidates have framed three to five micro management teams to distribute cash and also to prevent cash distribution by their archrival for every ward coming under RK Nagar. DC's day out with a few micro teams of ruling AIADMK and the rebel TTV Dhinakaran revealed poor response from EC squads in fighting poll violations.
While the popular candidates including E. Madhusudhanan, Marudhu Ganesh and TTV Dhinakaran were focused on seeking votes through door to door campaign, the micro teams were seen 'operating' with the voters roll and interacting with the electors in guise of campaign.
Supporters of all the above candidates were found with names of voters list. "At a time when the corporation is distributing the booth slips to the voters on a door to door basis, there is no business for the party men to carry voters roll during the campaign, but this is what happening in RK Nagar," said a poll official attached to the RK Nagar returning office.
Labour dominated RK Nagar, which was silent till 10 am on Saturday, woke up to a serious of high drama in at least in five different locations by noon. First it started in Old Washermenpet (ward 48) in Mannappa street, where the supporters of TTV Dhinakaran rounded up a house alleging that cash was distributed to voters. "I was beaten up during my attempt to nab the person distributing cash seeking votes for two leaves and the police is coming after an hour," said Pon Tha Manoharan from Thanjavur campaigning for pressure cooker. The situation was worse in Korrukpet where the police were rounded up and abused for nabbing the supporters of Dhinarakaran who were alleged to induce voters and booked by the police.
The DMK teams were not that hyper active but joined hands with supporters of TTV Dhinakaran whenever there was any drama in RK Nagar related to poll violation and it was visible in ward 48 and ward 42.
Poll pourri
A shop located next to the RK Nagar returning office in TH road has a board informing, "voter ID status print outs available". There were also shops taking out print outs of RK Nagar Voters roll, which is in high demand among the party functionaries
Shops selling biryani in RK Nagar, particularly the small eat outs in TH road are only serving half plate biriyani's. Due to good rush and cash inflow, the hoteliers have now stopped selling kuska and quarter plate biriyanis. Only half plates and full plate mutton and chicken biriyani available
With police stopping the movement of big cars, auto rickshaws have emerged as the most sought after vehicle among party workers and political functionaries
Small shops that have photocopy machines are having brisk sales in RK Nagar as the voters queue up in taking photo copies of voter Ids. Which are asked by the micro teams during cash for vote negotiation
