Cash, sops flow freely in Erode East as poll campaign ends

Chennai, Feb 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The two main Dravida political parties DMK and the AIADMK are vying with each other to win the Erode East by-election with an array of leaders descending in the constituency during the last day of the campaigning.

The bypoll to the Erode East constituency is scheduled to be held on February 27.

Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin led the last day's campaign for the DMK front candidate and senior Congress leader, EVKS Elangovan. Stalin's statement that women heads of homes would be provided Rs 1000 as honoriroum per month in the next budget was questioned by the AIADMK.

AIADMK leader and former MLA, I.S. Inbarasu, told media persons that the action of Stalin announcing such a dole during an election campaign was violation of the model code of conduct (MCC). He raised a complaint with the Returning Officer of the constituency, R. Sivakumar.

However, local people told IANS that both the Dravidian parties are wooing people by paying money and gifts. Silver anklets were distributed to people and pressure cookers were also given as gifts to the voters.

People, however, do not want to be identified as the money and gifts are handed over by local politicians of both the parties.

A woman voter told IANS that that a local leader had come to their home two days before and paid Rs 12,000 as they had four votes in their home. The party paid Rs 3000 per vote in a home. The other party also paid Rs 2500 per vote and this amounted to Rs 10,000.

However, most of the voters refused to take money from both the sides barring some exceptions.

Sources in the DMK told IANS that the DMK-led front is far ahead of the AIADMK-led front. The leaders showed the lead of 8904 votes with which E. Thirumahan Everaa won in the 2021 assembly elections against Tamil Maanila Congress candidate, M. Yuvaraja.

The East Erode by-election has been necessitated aftre the passing away of E. Thirumahan Everaa. With his father EVKS Elangovan contesting the polls, the sympathy factor is likely to work in his favour. The support extended by Tamil super star Kamal Haasan-led party, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), has also given a shot in the arm for the DMK front. It is to be noted that MNM had garnered 10,000 votes in the 2021 assembly polls.

AIADMK leadership, however, said that the Front will easily win the polls and pointed out the chief minister announcing Rs 1000 honorarium to the women heads of families per month in the next budget was an indication that the DMK was rattled with the feedback from the ground.

With silent campaign commencing from now onwards, the Election Commission has deployed several flying squads to check whether money was changing hands.

Sources from Erode East constituency, however, told IANS that money, liquor, and biriyani were free-flowing in the constituency for wooing the voters in secret places. However, the allegation could not be confirmed.

Source: IANS