The Election Commission’s decision to cancel the R.K. Nagar by-election in Chennai is an admission that even by putting its best foot forward, it cannot hold a free and fair poll in Tamil Nadu (Editotial – “A damning indictment”, April 11). With voters also open to being bribed, it holds up the mirror to all of us. Flush-with-cash netas have also cocked a snook at the demonetisation exercise that was meant to weed out black money and corruption. In what is something disgraceful, Tamil Nadu has shown that where there is a corrupt will, there is a cash-rich way — an utter shame and a blot on our democracy.
R. Sivakumar,Chennai
The EC has done a commendable job in cancelling the by-election but it is a well-known fact that this malady is not confined to R.K. Nagar alone. The practice of bribing voters through various means and thus influencing them is alive and kicking throughout the length and breadth of the country. While we may proclaim ourselves to be the ‘world’s largest democracy’, it is an open secret that serious malpractices continue unabated during elections, which undermine the legitimacy of the entire process. Fair and free elections are a prerequisite for regaining people’s trust in our democracy. The EC must leave no stone unturned in punishing the offenders regardless of their political affiliations.
N. Venkata Sai Praveen, Punggol, Singapore
There was plenty of evidence that voters were being bribed — indeed being showered — with large sums of money in order to vote in favour of the ruling AIADMK (Amma). Given that the constituency was the centre of attraction right from the beginning, ruling party functionaries were said to be distributing money without any fear.
One hopes that once the election is held again, people will be represented by an upright representative who will deliver the goods fairly. The EC has to act in a manner to stop such ugly developments in Tamil Nadu.
Mani Nataraajan,Chennai
