Dismissing as “vicious campaign” the charge that the DMK had a tacit understanding with dissident AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran for the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll, party candidate Marudu Ganesh on Monday said the aggressive campaign by him and party leaders was proof that the DMK treated the contest as a serious electoral battle.
“The importance attached to winning the constituency is explained by the fact that our working president Thalapathy (M.K. Stalin) declared that my victory would herald the change of government in Tamil Nadu.
He campaigned in the constituency for three days and he was accorded a roaring reception wherever he went. I visited every single house in the 960 streets, while Mr. Dhinakaran campaigned from a vehicle. In some areas, I met the voters for the second time,” Mr. Marudu Ganesh told The Hindu.
Appeal to EC
When asked whether he had expected the outcome, he said, “When I was confident of winning the seat, these thoughts were not on my mind.”
“In fact, when we were campaigning, the supporters of Mr. Dhinakaran wondered whether the DMK would give him some space in the election,” he added.
He alleged that money power changed everything upside down. “We did not give even a single paise to the voters. The ruling AIADMK gave ₹6,000 per vote and Mr. Dhinakaran raised the amount to ₹10,000. Money has bought their votes,” he claimed.
“We even made a representation to the Election Commission to prevent the candidates from contesting in the byelections. Why should we do it if we have an understanding with Mr. Dhinakaran,” he asked.
Mr. Marudu Ganesh said the DMK had done a lot of good work in the constituency and involved itself in the relief work when the monsoon hit the city.
“But money worked against us. The people in my constituency are poor and daily wagers who struggle to make ends meet. Money has bought their votes. Even as we set up offices for campaigning and other election-related work, the supporters of Mr. Dhinakaran devised a strategy to distribute money. Even on the byelection day, they gave ₹20 notes with a number so that the voters could use it (as a token) to collect the money from them later. The Election Commission did nothing to prevent money distribution,” he charged.
