Thanks to the Election Commission, the run-up to the Assembly election in Tamil Nadu was truly exemplary. There was no noise on the streets, no tarnishing of walls by political parties, and no huge cut-outs of leaders blocking traffic. The Commission took special efforts to prevent the bribing of voters in cash and kind.
J. Eden Alexander,
Thanjavur
***
People should appreciate the intrinsic value and power of their vote. They should not sell it for money or freebies. They should vote without fear or favour, guided only by their conscience. The largest democracy should be corruption-free and serve as a model for other countries.
M.Y. Shariff,
Chennai
***
Many people do not exercise their franchise as they feel nothing will change, no matter which party comes to power. We must remember that the first step to prosperity and welfare in a democracy is voting for the right representatives. The vote is a powerful weapon in people's hands, which they can use to get the government of their choice.
S. Ramakrishnasayee,
Ranipet
***
All eligible voters should exercise their franchise without fail. To vote is a duty. Elections are the touchstone of democracy. People should come forward in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
K. Pradeep,
Chennai
***
As everyone is gearing up for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, some attention needs to be paid to one method the candidates adopted during their campaign. Party leaders and independent candidates called individuals on their mobile phones with pre-recorded messages canvassing for votes.
We have grown tolerant of text messages but phone calls in the middle of a working day test our patience. The irony is that the calls were directed at people residing outside the constituencies in most cases. Strict guidelines should be laid down to regulate the infringement of voters' privacy.
Laalithya Boddapati,
Chennai
