The Election Commission is doing its best to control the role of money and mafia in elections, said Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana Rajat Kumar here on Saturday.
Mr. Rajat Kumar regretted that money and mafia were playing a major role in the elections these days because voters were not discharging their duty of rejecting the inducements outright.
Speaking at a voters’ awareness programme organised by the Economic Committee of the Exhibition Society and Osmania Graduates’ Association at Exhibition Grounds here, he appealed to the voters to participate in the democratic process by exercising their franchise. Every voter should motivate their family members, friends and neighbours to vote. “ If any one offers cash, refuse it outright. From our side, we are working hard to control the role of money and mafia,” he said. Commenting on the gravity of the situation, he said even with a week to go before the polling, already cash amounting to ₹104 crore had been seized. “ This is ₹28 crore higher than the overall amount seized during the full period in the last elections which covered entire of united Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
He advised voters to go by policies and promises of parties/candidates instead of personalities, parochial lines and narrow interests. Every one with voting right should at least make five voters to vote. Huge increase in voters’ turnout would force the politicians to think about what people want — better safety and security, transportation and other basic facilities. If people want their voice to be heard, then they should vote, he said.
He said the Commission wanted political parties to submit their manifestos and furnish information about the source of the money to implement their promises. Candidates were asked to furnish details about their criminal antecedents.
With web-casting and surveillance by CCTV cameras, bogus voting, impersonation and malpractices at booths would be detected and the system improved, he said.
