Seven years ago, a by-election in Madurai gave the world a new term for cash-for-vote culture – the ‘Thirumangalam formula’. The stigma has since stayed on with the voters of the constituency. And now sections of voters in Aravakurichi in Karur district and Thanjavur constituencies are rueing the fact that the Election Commission’s historic action of rescinding polls due to large-scale bribing of voters in the two constituencies has sullied their images.
On Sunday, a day after the Election Commission took the unprecedented step, a panel discussion was organised in rural Thanjavur to deliberate on the issue.
“The Commission notes that it had clear evidence linking the prominent players to electoral malpractices. Now, it must deploy more Observers and security personnel to ensure that at least the election to be scheduled is held in a free and fair manner without the influence of money,” said former vice-president of the Builders’ Association of India K. Padmanabhan. “The principal contenders must realise their folly due to which all other innocent contestants and the general public are forced to suffer,” he said in an obvious reference to bribing of voters by a Dravidian party candidate.
Samy Natarajan, Thanjavur district secretary of the CPI (M)-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, however, felt that Aravakurichi and Thanjavur were just samples of what happened across the State. “How could the Commission allow candidates or parties that have flagrantly violated the Representation of People Act to contest in the fresh elections? The DMK and the AIADMK will go all out to win the seats, and perhaps more money will flow unless the vigil is intensified truly,” he remarked. Stating that the electors’ mind would have been conditioned by now, librarian P. Subashini rues that sections of voters even now expect money from the contestants. If the candidates are changed, the dole might become dearer, she opined. “For this squalid situation, both the DMK and the AIADMK must be blamed as they have corrupted people of the State,” she said. They also wanted the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer and at least one Election Commission of India member must be present at the time of polling in either of the constituencies to ensure fool-proof arrangements.
Candidates hopeful
The candidates of the Dravidian parties hoped that they would remain in the fray. Sources close to AIADMK candidate and former Minister V Senthil Balaji said he was confident of defeating the sitting DMK MLA K.C. Palanisamy in Aravakurichi. The Thanjavur AIADMK candidate M Rengasamy also hoped to sail through. However, the DMK’s Thanjavur candidate Anjugam Bhoopathy was unhappy over the development. She was hoping to defeat Rengasamy, but now with the AIADMK in power, there is an apprehension that the voters might plump for the ruling party in a by-election.
