TNCC chief asks EC not to conduct repolls in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI/MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri on Wednesday urged the Election Commission not to conduct repolls in the state.
Earlier in the day, chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo said the Election Commission was likely to hold repolls in 46 polling booths in 15 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state as returning officers found some discrepancies during the April 18 polling. However, the CEO refused name the polling booths and Lok Sabha constituencies where the repolls might be held. On Tuesday night, 50 EVMs were shifted to Theni from Coimbatore.
Alagiri questioned the secrecy behind move to hold repolls. “On whose request or complaints, the repolls are being ordered? Why is the CEO not furnishing the details of the booths and where the repolls are likely to be conducted? Given the circumstances, the Congress party urges the EC to not to conduct any further repolls,” Alagiri said in a statement.
Recalling the instances of largescale money distribution reported in Theni Lok Sabha constituency, where deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam’s son O P Ravindranath contested on behalf of the AIADMK, Alagiri said Election Commission observers posted there could not prevent them. Further, the district collector had acted as a mere puppet in the hands of the ruling party, thereby making it a lopsided affair, he added.
“In this background, the shifting of EVMs to Theni tahsildar office from Coimbatore has raised doubts over the need for that, especially the shifting was done without following the laid norms of informing the candidates and their agents in the respective constituencies,” Alagiri said.
Congress candidate in Theni EVKS Elangovan said repolls should not be conducted in any of the booths in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency. Elangovan said that he had come to know that there was a move to conduct a repoll in two or three polling booths in Theni constituency and it should not be done.
The transfer of EVMs from Coimbatore to Theni might have taken place because of deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam’s visit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency. OPS might have sought the PM’s help to ensure the victory of his son in the Theni, he said.
Elangovan said the AIADMK had tried to transport the EVMs with the help of the state chief electoral officer.
He handed over a petition to Theni district collector Pallavi M Baldev requesting her to send the EVMs back.