Distribution of money to voters in different pockets of Theni Lok Sabha constituency by the ruling party cadre and their allies has been going on. Despite complaints lodged with the authorities, there has been no tangible action, said All India Congress Committee leader (in-charge of TN) Sanjay Dutt here on Tuesday.
Money is being transported in convoys and permits issued for the AIADMK were being misused, he told reporters in the presence of Congress candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan.
The money was being distributed in pockets like Bodi and Cumbum. There were reports that money was being taken in vehicles with fake permits. The Election Commission should probe and post an additional observer here, which would instil confidence in the minds of the opposition and the common man.
The Congress, he said, did not believe in bribing voters and maintained that they would harp on the goodwill and respect earned by their candidate Mr. Elangovan. As a past president of the State Congress Committee and as a former Union Minister, he could turn Theni into a liveable city.
Attacking the Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for neglecting the people and promoting his family, Mr. Sanjay Dutt said that there was no progress. “How can people of Theni remain silent for years together. There was a good scope to promote horticulture and other allied industries but it was not done. I am sure, Mr. Elangovan, would live up to the expectation,” he asserted.
He charged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for ‘hypothecating’ the people of TN to the BJP for protecting their own interest. By voting for the Congress, the people could ensure exit of Modi and Mr. Palaniswami. The DMK’s Stalin would deliver good governance, he said.
On the BJP’s manifesto, he described it as nothing but a duplicate of the manifesto released by the Congress a few days ago. He urged the people to look at the BJP’s old manifestos and conclude how they had broken their promises on several issues, he added.