The question of cash-for-votes might be timely as the state has had quite a chequered history concerning this. In 1957, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, who represented the All India Forward Bloc, alleged that the ruling party - the Congress had bribed voters to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 10 per vote.
Chennai: In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu next year, the AIADMK is pulling out all stops to appease its traditional vote bank. Last month, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched the disbursal of Rs 2,500 in cash and a gift hamper containing food provisions for all ration cardholders in the state on account of Pongal. The state had issued a Government Order (GO) sanctioning a sum of Rs 5,604 cr towards this scheme that will benefit 2.06 cr ration cardholders and 18,923 Sri Lankan refugee families too. The programme was supplemented by the free distribution of dhotis and sarees to beneficiaries, a scheme that was kicked off in 1983.
The move was criticised by certain members of the Opposition, mainly VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, who questioned the government’s motives, asking whether the handout, announced during a political rally, was on the occasion of the festival, or account of the approaching polls. Now that the permit to conduct jallikattu has also come through, parties across Tamil Nadu will be able to dole out cash prizes and freebies, while organising temple festivals and sponsoring cultural events.
The question of cash-for-votes might be timely as the state has had quite a chequered history concerning this. In 1957, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, who represented the All India Forward Bloc, alleged that the ruling party - the Congress had bribed voters to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 10 per vote. His sentiments were echoed by late DMK leader and former chief minister CN Annadurai, who during the 1962 assembly elections, had levelled a similar accusation against the Congress.
Old habits die hard, and in 2009, a record was set when Rs 5,000 per voter was allegedly distributed in the Thirumangalam region of Madurai, by the now-ousted leader from the DMK MK Alagiri. The amount was reportedly concealed in envelopes bearing the name of the candidate, coupled with copies of the morning newspaper, and milk packets too. The incident was a precursor to the multi-million cash for vote drives of subsequent years. As per data from Election Commission, officials seized Rs 35.53 cr during the 2011 assembly elections and Rs 25 cr during the 2014 parliamentary elections from TN. That might seem insignificant when compared to the Rs 100 cr seized in May 2016. In fact, two days before the state was set to cast its vote that year, a dramatic chase that culminated in Tirupur, with the seizure of Rs 570 cr loaded in three container trucks, and the preceding seizures of ambulances transporting money had bookended the Election Commission’s decision to postpone elections in Aravakurichy and Thanjavur constituencies. The development was a first in India’s electoral history. The money being transported in the trucks was subsequently claimed by SBI, which said the cash was to address a temporary shortage in Andhra Pradesh.
However, in April 2017, another incident underscored the unrepentant state of those in power. In the run-up to the bypoll for the RK Nagar constituency, which was late CM J Jayalalithaa’s bastion, I-T sleuths unearthed a scam to the tune of Rs 89 cr, a sum reportedly distributed by Sasikala Natarajan’s outfit among voters, to swing the elections in AIADMK’s favour. The raids were conducted on the premises of TN Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. Following this incident, the RK Nagar bypoll was cancelled.
The modus operandi to influence voters in TN has undergone many iterations - from cash to quarter (liquor) and biryani, to consumer durables, automobiles, and more. There is a need to curb this menace of influencing by undue means, which continues year after election year. The Representation of the People Act, which empowers EC to cancel polling in the event of ‘booth-capturing’, is found wanting when it comes to the issue of cash-for-votes. The EC certainly needs more teeth going forth, if only to salvage the idea of democracy that India once prided itself on.
The move was criticised by certain members of the Opposition, mainly VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, who questioned the government’s motives, asking whether the handout, announced during a political rally, was on the occasion of the festival, or account of the approaching polls. Now that the permit to conduct jallikattu has also come through, parties across Tamil Nadu will be able to dole out cash prizes and freebies, while organising temple festivals and sponsoring cultural events.
The question of cash-for-votes might be timely as the state has had quite a chequered history concerning this. In 1957, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, who represented the All India Forward Bloc, alleged that the ruling party - the Congress had bribed voters to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 10 per vote. His sentiments were echoed by late DMK leader and former chief minister CN Annadurai, who during the 1962 assembly elections, had levelled a similar accusation against the Congress.
Old habits die hard, and in 2009, a record was set when Rs 5,000 per voter was allegedly distributed in the Thirumangalam region of Madurai, by the now-ousted leader from the DMK MK Alagiri. The amount was reportedly concealed in envelopes bearing the name of the candidate, coupled with copies of the morning newspaper, and milk packets too. The incident was a precursor to the multi-million cash for vote drives of subsequent years. As per data from Election Commission, officials seized Rs 35.53 cr during the 2011 assembly elections and Rs 25 cr during the 2014 parliamentary elections from TN. That might seem insignificant when compared to the Rs 100 cr seized in May 2016. In fact, two days before the state was set to cast its vote that year, a dramatic chase that culminated in Tirupur, with the seizure of Rs 570 cr loaded in three container trucks, and the preceding seizures of ambulances transporting money had bookended the Election Commission’s decision to postpone elections in Aravakurichy and Thanjavur constituencies. The development was a first in India’s electoral history. The money being transported in the trucks was subsequently claimed by SBI, which said the cash was to address a temporary shortage in Andhra Pradesh.
However, in April 2017, another incident underscored the unrepentant state of those in power. In the run-up to the bypoll for the RK Nagar constituency, which was late CM J Jayalalithaa’s bastion, I-T sleuths unearthed a scam to the tune of Rs 89 cr, a sum reportedly distributed by Sasikala Natarajan’s outfit among voters, to swing the elections in AIADMK’s favour. The raids were conducted on the premises of TN Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. Following this incident, the RK Nagar bypoll was cancelled.
The modus operandi to influence voters in TN has undergone many iterations - from cash to quarter (liquor) and biryani, to consumer durables, automobiles, and more. There is a need to curb this menace of influencing by undue means, which continues year after election year. The Representation of the People Act, which empowers EC to cancel polling in the event of ‘booth-capturing’, is found wanting when it comes to the issue of cash-for-votes. The EC certainly needs more teeth going forth, if only to salvage the idea of democracy that India once prided itself on.
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