Election in Vellore seat to be cancelled? EC writes to President, order awaited

Over Rs 11 crore was seized from a godown in Vellore, which a DMK functionary later admitted belonged to him.

news Lok Sabha 2019

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that no order has been issued as yet on the elections in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore parliamentary constituency. However, the ECI was considering cancelling the polls. Two weeks ago, more than Rs 11 crore was seized from a cement godown, money which a local DMK functionary later disclosed belonged to him.

The Indian Express reported that the Election Commission has recommended to President Ram Nath Kovind that the Vellore elections be cancelled.

The recommendation, the Indian Express reported, will be shared with the Law Minister for its review, and the recommendation will only be given after the Law Minister offers its review. If the President notifies that the election will be cancelled, it will be the first ever Lok Sabha election to be cancelled on the basis of corruption.

Background

The officials of the Income Tax department conducted searches in the house of DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan in the wee hours of March 30 and then had conducted searches in the cement godown on April 1. The search was conducted based on the information given by the District Electoral Officer of Vellore. More than Rs 11 crore was seized by the officials on April 1. The cash was stacked in cartons, gunny sacks and shopping bags.

An FIR was registered against Duraimurugan’s son DM Kathir Anand on April 8 and two of his team members. Kathir is contesting in the Lok Sabha polls from Vellore on a DMK ticket. The FIR also included the names of Poonjolai Srinivasan, a local DMK functionary, and a man called Damodaran who owns the cement godown from where the cash was seized.

The FIR stated that Kathir Anand possessed more cash than what he had declared in his election affidavit. Adding that Poonjolai Srinivasan claimed that the money seized from the godown belonged to him, the FIR said, “Poonjolai Srinivasan then contacted the Income Tax authorities and accepted that the amount seized from Damodaran’s properties belonged to him and that it was kept there to distribute to voters.” It also said that seized cash could have been moved to the godown from Duraimurugan’s house when the officers were made to wait outside his house on the night of the raid.

On April 9, 2017, just three days before the RK Nagar election was scheduled the Election Commission cancelled it over allegations of bribery by the ruling party. In 2016, the Election Commission cancelled polls to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi over the use of money during the Assembly Elections.