EC takes steps to prevent flow of cash during TN polls

Chennai, Jan 24 (PTI) The Election Commission will takevarious steps, including video surveillance, to prevent flowof cash during Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in May, state ChiefElectoral Officer Pravin Kumar said here today.

"Many steps were taken by the EC during the BiharAssembly polls held last year. The loopholes in those stepswill be plugged and measures will be implemented to stop flowof cash in the upcoming Tamil Nadu polls," he told reporters.

Video surveillance is one of the steps to be taken by theEC. Also, every candidate will have to open a bank account andall the election-related expenses must be met with from thisaccount, he said.

Besides Tamil Nadu, these measures are also proposed forKerala and West Bengal where polls are due in May.

To a query, he said most political parties in the statehad expressed their willingness for a single-phase poll.

As part of creating awareness among people for the needto vote, the EC has decided to celebrate its foundation day(January 25) as National Voters Day, he said.