AIADMK charges EC with bias

CHENNAI, MARCH 1: The AIADMK today charged the Election Commission with `tendentiousness' in the conduct of elections, alleging that it ha...

CHENNAI, MARCH 1: The AIADMK today charged the Election Commission with `tendentiousness’ in the conduct of elections, alleging that it had ordered repoll in a number of booths in Bihar to placate the ruling NDA at the Centre, but had declined to do so in Tiruchirappalli II Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha, in a statement, said, “The EC has become a suspect by the way in which it is trying to fulfil the desires of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. We are unable to understand why the EC, which conducted repoll against the RJD government in Bihar, declined to conduct a repoll in polling booths in Tamil Nadu.”

She alleged that the ruling DMK had indulged in widespread violence, malpractices and bogus voting in 59 booths in Tiruchirappalli II constituency during polling in the February 17 by-election. All these were presented to the EC along with evidence, she said, adding that the Commission had withheld the counting there and, after enacting an “eye-wash drama” of inquiry, ordered counting of votes.

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“It is shameful that despite our presenting evidence with regard to violent incidents and bogus voting that had taken place at Nellikuppam, Aranthangi and Tiruchirapalli-II, the EC should have enacted a mega drama of an inquiry,” she said.

The by-election had raised a big question mark about the fate of democratic institutions in the country, she said.

She claimed that victory had been snatched from AIADMK’S hands by “subterfuge, malpractices and violence”, and that the result was not a defeat to her party.