Giving money for votes is a common practice in Tamil Nadu

With the cancellation of voting in the Vellore constituency of Tamil Nadu following the seizure of a huge stack of cash from the residence of a DMK leader, the cash-for-vote menace in the state has once again come to the limelight.
The election was rescinded after a raid at the residence of DMK candidate Kathir Anand, where it was found that some materials were moved from the premises before the action. Later, a team of income tax officials seized Rs114.8 million from the residence of another party worker, Sreenivasan.
Sreenivasan reportedly admitted to the tax officials that the money was meant to influence the voters.
However, the tendency of political parties offering cash-for-vote is not new in Tamil Nadu as it's a practice followed by almost all the parties for decades. During the previous assembly polls, authorities had seized more than Rs1 billion of unaccounted money from the state, but no election was cancelled.
In the Sivaganga constituency, farm worker Murugamma told Khaleej Times. "In every election, we get cash from all the major parties. The candidate who has better chance to win offers more money." However, she didn't reveal whether she had received money from any party this year.
Following strict surveillance by the poll commission recently, the parties have found out innovative ways to woo the voters. "During the last assembly polls, the election commission surveillance was strong, and the day before the polls, many households saw sacks of rice kept in front of their doors. The party that delivered the rice informed them via phone about the gift," said Sasi, a voter in Madurai.
The cash delivery methods include Rs2,000-3,000 coupons to petrol pumps, textile shops, jewellery shops and even liquor shops. During the 2016 assembly elections, poll officials had seized coupons worth millions for two petrol stations and sealed the pumps.
At Ooty in the Nilgiris constituency, workers of TTV Dinakaran-led AMMK told Khaleej Times that the day before the election, major parties distribute money among villagers. "If more than one party pays money for the vote, people vote for the party that gives more money. This time, one of the parties distributed table fans to all the voters. They do it in a very secretive manner so that poll officials don't come to know about that," said Sreedevi, a party worker.
Statistics revealed by the election commission proves that cash transactions for vote is more rampant in Tamil Nadu than any other state. Of the total Rs6.83 billion seized till April 16 after the election code of conduct came into effect, more than Rs2 billion have been seized in state. And regarding the precious metals, while the seizure at national level stood at Rs5.12 billion, almost Rs2.95 billion worth of these metals were seized in Tamil Nadu alone.
However, this is the first time in the history of India's parliamentary elections that poll in a constituency was cancelled over bribery charges.
According to Madhu Mahajan, special expenditure observer, "the searches had unearthed a systematic design to influence voters through inducements" and "the situation is not conducive for the conduct of free and fair elections". A report submitted by him mentioned that the money seized from the DMK leader was packed in separate plastic bags with the names and booth numbers of assembly constituencies marked on it.
Soon after the tax officials conducted a raid at the Tuticorn residence of DMK candidate Kanimozhi, her brother and DMK chief MK Stalin criticised the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "BJP candidate Tamilisai Soundarajan's premises has crores and crores of rupees...why no raids there? Who will take action? PM Modi used I-T department, the CBI, the judiciary and the Election Commission of India, to interfere in the electoral process," Stalin alleged.
On Wednesday, Kanimozhi told the media that the BJP can't prevent her from winning through "undemocratic" income tax raids.
Rajarathinam, a local Congress leader at the Sivaganga party election committee office, alleged the one-sided raids on the opposition party leaders are calculated move by the Central and the state governments. "Every party in Tamil Nadu gives away cash or gifts to voters. That's a fact. Nothing is new in this. The raids exclusively on the opposition leaders are the BJP's plan to defeat the opposition leaders. Actually, more money is being distributed by the AIADMK and the BJP. But our officials don't have the courage to raid their premises," he told Khaleej Times.
anuwarrier@khaleejtimes.com