EC cancels TN bypoll after ‘cash to voters’ scam

Chennai: The Election Commission has decided to cancel the April 12 bypoll to Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K. Nagar) constituency after evidence showed money was distributed to voters. A formal announcement in this regard will be made on Monday, informed sources said on late Sunday night.

The decision to cancel the high-stakes byelection came after Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat held marathon discussions with Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni and special observer (expenditure) Vikram Batra on Sunday.

The I-T department’s report about the seizure of incriminating documents showed that the ruling AIADMK had plans to distribute `89crore among the voters of R.K. Nagar seems to have led the EC in taking the decision to cancel the bypoll. This is the second time in less than a year that a scheduled election is being cancelled. Elections to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur were cancelled in May 2016.

Mr Batra was rushed to Chennai from New Delhi on Thursday to assess the situation in the R.K. Nagar constituency, and he is understood to have given a negative report to the EC. In his report, the IRS officer reportedly detailed about the free flow of cash in the constituency, and that how the rules are being openly flouted by political parties. The sources said the decision to cancel the bypoll was unanimous.

Earlier, Mr Lakhoni briefed the CEC and election commissioners about the ground reality in R.K. Nagar, explaining the points that have been mentioned in his detailed report sent on Saturday evening.

In his report, Mr Lakhoni reportedly said there were indeed malpractices in the run-up to the bypoll and also provided videos of voters being bribed before the EC authorities.