Elections not conducted in fair manner, claims State BJP chief

Party alleges that electoral procedures were not followed by officials

Tamilisai Soundararajan

: Alleging that money was distributed to influence electoral results during the polls in Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and the by-poll in Thiruparankundram on November 19, BJP State unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday claimed the BJP would have garnered more votes if the elections were held in a fair manner.

Talking to reporters on the Secretariat campus here where she had come to meet the Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni over her party candidate not being allowed inside the counting centre in Aravakurichi, Ms. Soundararajan said the electoral procedures were not followed.

“So, the counting was in progress even in the absence of the candidate of a national party. It is wrong that the counting started without the BJP candidate. We have not got justice,” she said. When asked about her party coming third in the three Assembly constituencies, she said, “If distribution of money had been prevented, and if elections were held honestly, BJP would have got more votes.”

When she complained over this, election officials pointed to flying squads, which were in these constituencies. “There were flying squads but there were

panappadaigal (money squads) too,” she charged. Ms. Soundararajan, however, thanked those who voted for the BJP and for not falling for those parties which distributed money.

She further noted though it has become an “unwritten law” that the ruling party would win the by-polls, the BJP had contested only with an intention to change the “unwritten law”.