Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan on Wednesday alleged widespread distribution of cash for voters across Coimbatore, ahead of the urban local body elections, and accused the State Election Commission of not cracking down on those distributing cash.
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Speaking to journalists in Coimbatore, she alleged that “outsiders” from Karur district have been engaged in distributing cash to voters across the city. She claimed that the BJP cadre “caught two persons red-handed” at Ward No. 70 on Tuesday and handed them over to the authorities. “The State Election Commission must take steps to remove the persons from Karur district from Coimbatore,” Ms. Vanathi urged.
Claiming that the DMK has been approaching the urban local body elections as an “issue of honour” after losing in all 10 Assembly constituencies of Coimbatore district in the 2021 Assembly election, she appealed to the voters to ensure that the “anti-DMK mentality” reflected in the votes across the district.
Siruvani dam water level
On the issue of the water level at the Siruvani dam, Ms. Vanathi said that the State government should immediately conduct talks with the Kerala government to ensure full reservoir level and prevent water shortage for the residents of Coimbatore in the coming months.
Accusing the government of not taking steps to ensure the retention of the V.O.C Park Zoo within the city, she alleged that the DMK government was not focusing on long-term issues in Coimbatore.