The elections, once someone had said was an examination that needs benefits the people and the nations. But if there is cheating involved, who is at loss?
In a brazen display of election fraud, key political players are delivering cash handouts to voters in the late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s constituency, RK Nagar, which is slated for a bypoll this Thursday, an India Today investigation has found.
The Election Commission canceled the bypoll in the borough scheduled earlier in April after income-tax raids on Tamil Nadu health minister C.
Vijaya Baskar produced what authorities said was compelling evidence of voter-bribing.
But nothing has changed eight months later as India Today’s probe caught campaigners using cash recklessly to engineer a victory in the December 21 vote.
The EC’s tall claims of rigorous surveillance aside, workers and office-bearers of several political parties have been found to manipulate the outcome through bribing voters.
At an AIADMK booth in RK Nagar’s Washermenpet neighborhood, Dakshina Murty, the ruling party’s circle supervisor from Thanjavur district, confessed to paying Rs 6,000 for every assured vote.
“We give (Rs) 6,000 now. We will profit much more lately,” Murty revealed. “Poor people do not understand anything except money.”
In what appeared to be a mockery of the EC’s round-the-clock vigil in the constituency, Murty owned up distributing cash in broad daylight.
“One vote is for Rs 6,000. When will the distribution take place?” the reporter probed.
“It is over. It already took place. I went and distributed in the morning, between 8 and 10. If you talk about houses, (there were) around 100-150 houses,” the party executive disclosed.
THE FRAUD APPEARS WIDESPREAD
A DMK booth supervisor at RK Nagar, V. Viswanathan explained his entire cash arithmetic to India Today’s investigative team.
“Out of 2.42 lakh votes, 1.68 lakh votes will be cast. Out of this, we have to get 75,000 votes,” said Viswanathan.
“And how many votes you have to buy?” asked the undercover reporter.
“About 1 lakh,” the DMK worker replied. “We have to think about (Rs) 2,000 per vote. Last time, we’d given 2,000 (rupees per vote).”
Viswanathan admitted that his party doled out Rs 30 crore to potential voters in RK Nagar ahead of the April bypoll.
“Last time, we’d given. The election stopped in April. We’d given 30 crores,” he said.
RK Nagar is a hot cake not only for EPS and OPS but also for Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran, who has been campaigning vigorously in the constituency.
India Today reporters met one of his trusted aides, Sukanya, who acknowledged that her job was to ensure voters got their cash and the TTV camp its votes.
Their cadre, she revealed, was offering Rs 1,000 more than other competitors.
“It’s Rs 1,000 extra. So if it is 6,000, we will give 7,000. I get money that’s to be given to 40 members,” Sukanya said. “It’s all in 2,000 notes. If it is Rs 6,000, give three Rs 2,000 notes. See how many votes are there, tick them and distribute money. Already the list is prepared. No doubts. Only cash distribution.”
Her assignment, she said, involved door-to-door visits.
“There are 1,240 votes. Ten houses will cover 50 votes. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. That’s all. It’s over,” Sukanya bragged.
INDIA TODAY IMPACT
After India Today conducted an expose on the cash to voters scam in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, Election Commission today summoned the Tamil Nadu chief election officer (CEO).
The CEO has been asked to submit a detailed report within two days. The CEO is also likely to attach a CD of the sting by India Today along with his report.
The CD will also be sent to the forensic science laboratory to examine it for credibility. After the examination, experts will study the visuals and use it for a detailed report.
Chief Election Commissioner Akal Kumar Jyoti said that the election body has sought the report and when they will hold a meeting after accessing it. The EC will decide on the legal action based on the report.
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