The Election Commission, which had rescinded the bypoll for the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency earlier this year, citing distribution of money to voters, had detailed all the measures it took to curb electoral malpractices in the constituency this time. Yet, after the declaration of the results on Sunday, the poll body came under sharp attack from not just the opposition and independent observers but also from the ruling AIADMK which charged that money power had defeated democracy.
The EC had deputed nine central observers, deployed 15 companies of paramilitary personnel and over 2,000 police personnel for surveillance, installed CCTVs and seized over ₹30 lakh, besides arresting a few persons. But it appears these measures were not enough.
“Money was distributed for the bypoll and there is no doubt about it. It was not restricted to any one party. They all gave money in one way or the other but the quantum might have been different,” says senior journalist Maalan Narayanan. “Probably, the Commission got frustrated and had given up on (curbing) it because it is not happening for the first time but for over a decade now,” he contends.
‘Laws needed’
The Election Commission cannot be blamed completely, says M.G. Devasahayam, former IAS officer and convenor of the Forum for Electoral Integrity. “The Commission has already sought certain amendments (in the Representation of People Act) to empower itself to tackle the issue of distribution of money to voters. It has to be approved by the Parliament. The Modi government is to be blamed because it is in power for more than three years now and still has not accepted the Commission’s plea,” he says.
The electorate and the political parties are also to blame, he says. “If the people are corrupt, the elected government is bound to be corrupt!” he said.
‘No cash flow’
“It’s a shame!” observes former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami. “It will be difficult for the Election Commission to conduct any elections in the State.” Mr. Gopalaswami goes on to say: “It [the menace of money in elections in Tamil Nadu] is like the Frankenstein’s monster. It’s beyond all of us now.”
IRS officer Kumar Pranav, one of the nine Observers (Expenditure) for the bypoll, defended the Commission. “The very fact that ₹20 currencies were distributed a day before the polling as tokens and not money showed money had not been distributed and how the Commission had curtailed the distribution of money. Those giving tokens were arrested.” All efforts to distribute money were stopped, he added.
