It's a close fight between the Election Commission trying its hardest to prevent Tamil Nadu's most well-known electoral malpractice and the political parties out to buy votes at any cost, says B Srikumar.
It is perhaps the first time in India that about one crore people have collectively taken a pledge to not ‘sell their votes’ in the assembly polls in Tamil Nadu due on May 16, 2016. It has been a tough task for the Election Commission so far to control political parties in the state from ‘buying’ voters.
Like before, money is playing a crucial role this time too in the Tamil Nadu polls. It’s an open secret that during elections, voters in almost every constituency are given money or freebies. This time round major political parties in the state are vying with each other to distribute money, goodies, alcohol or briyani among voters.
It has been in practice for quite some time, only the ways and means have changed from election to election. Since the announcement of election in the state on March 4 to the first week of May, the EC’s flying squads and static surveillance teams, the Enforcement Directorate, income tax officials and the Tamil Nadu police have seized about Rs 92 crore of unaccounted money in the state till Tuesday. They have seized bundles of cash during vehicle searches and other raids. Clearly, it shows something terribly wrong in the system.
On April 24, the Election Commission observer team seized Rs 4.72 crore cash from Vijay Krishnan of teh All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who lives in a posh apartment in Chennai. A day before, the police recovered Rs 4.75 crore from a businessman Anbunathan’s house in Ayyampalaym in Karur district. Anbunathan too allegedly has close links with senior ministers in the AIADMK government.
The opposition parties are gunning against the ruling party for stashing money at different places for the purpose of distributing it among voters. However, the AIADMK has rubbished all these allegations.
Samarasam, former MLA and senior AIADMK functionary says, “There is no need to distribute money among voters. After seeing Amma’s (as Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is referred to by her followers) welfare measures, the people will re-elect us to rule the state. These allegations are false and are being spread by the opposition parties.”
But, the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the stashing of money at Anbunathan’s house.
However, when it comes to distributing money among voters, the DMK is no different from the other parties. Every party tries to please the voters with cash or freebies. In public, political parties blame each other for indulging in such malpractices, but, clandestinely, all indulge in it.
The seizures of money across the state have raised many eyebrows and exposed how the parties are involved in it to capture power.
DMK treasurer M K Stalin has asked the Election Commission to intervene immediately and prevent the ruling party from using ‘money power’. “It is very important for the Election Commission to act upon the rampant money distribution by the AIADMK. What they have seized so far is only the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
The political parties do not distribute money uniformly among voters in a particular constituency. They know who their potential voter is and approach them in different ways.
In Velachery constituency in Chennai, however, their modus operandi is different. The local leader’s aides will go to different houses and take the head of the family outside to have a tea. They also offer him some "pocket money". They then count the number of votes in his family and ask him to tell his family to vote for their party, each vote worth 2,000 rupees.
Rajasekar, who works in a private company, said, “It is our money coming back to us during the election. We accept what they want to give, but we vote for the party we like.”
Apart from cash, the local leaders also give a ‘token’ to the family to collect freebies like electric stove, cooker etc from a particular store.
“Buying vote is not an unusual practice,” says senior journalist S Murari. He recalled the 2009 Thirumangalam by-election in which Karunanidhi’s son M Azhagiri had discovered a new formula of distributing money to voters and the party candidate won easily. “After that, the 'Thirumangalam formula' is very famous and widely practised during elections.”
Concerned over the buying of votes by political parties, the Election Commission is taking out massive campaigns to ensure a fair election, with film stars, sports personalities and celebrities appealing to people to not take money for their vote. May 16 poll is obviously a big challenge for the EC.
Every other day, various squads of the EC seize bundles of cash from party functionaries and their aides in Tamil Nadu. Already, more than 1,700 teams are monitoring the movement of leaders of various political parties.
Rajesh Lakoni, chief electoral officer of Tamil Nadu, said, “The money distribution would go up as the poll date nears. So, we have increased the number of flying squads and static surveillance teams across the state. If we come to know that money is being distributed, we will arrest the person. About 21,300 youths in the state act as our informers and alert the teams to prevent any distribution of cash or materials.”
Former chief election commissioner of India N Gopalaswami said, “Money is being distributed in a systematic and widespread manner; in some states, it is confined to one or a few constituencies. But, in Tamil Nadu it’s happening in all 234 constituencies. It is a tough time for the EC.”
Money is usually distributed to voters on or before the poll date in a very tacit manner; the amount will reach voters through milk vendors, hawkers etc. Mobile shop owners too provide free recharges to voters.
Former CEC T S Krishnamurthy said, “The existing law is not adequate to deal with the people involved in buying votes.”
He suggests that the election funding of the parties must happen through the EC. The donors will give the money to the EC, which will hand it over to each recognised political party. In this way their expenses can be kept in check, he feels.
The chief electoral officer said the candidate found guilty of buying votes will be disqualified and fined or imprisoned for up to one year. But, proving the charge, officials say, is very difficult unless someone is caught red-handed. But, so far, no one has been convicted for such crimes.
In the western belt, the DMK cadres were allegedly distributing anklets with the party symbol, the rising sun, which was seized by a flying squad. In Thanjavur and Karur, the monitoring team seized tokens for the distribution of petrol.
While the EC is trying hard to prevent such incidents, the political parties are finding innovative methods to reach out to voters with money and gifts.
The EC is putting in all its efforts to ensure ethical voting in Tamil Nadu, but the political parties are trying their maximum to thwart those efforts. It is a tough call to say who will have the upper hand.
