In Tamil Nadu 33 cases of money distribution reported by public

Chennai, May 18: The Election Commission of India has had a difficult time tracking the cash flow during the Tamil Nadu elections. Among the various cases that were reported from Tamil Nadu, the one which was quite interesting was the seizure of sarees and dhotis worth Rs 1.30 crore. Another interesting fact is that 33 cases of money distribution were reported by the public.

While money has always been a major player in the Tamil Nadu elections, senior journalists who have followed the state closely say that this time around, the media has given it more coverage. Money has always been a big factor in Tamil Nadu during the elections, the senior journalist noted.

Sarees, dhotis and counting machines

Officials with the election commission say that they always had to be on their toes. Candidates had come up with various ways to outsmart our officials. Attempts to bribe the voters were made in different ways. The seizure of dhotis and sarees worth Rs 1.30 crore was one such way.

In another raid, the squad had also seized ambulances. None of the ambulances were registered and the investigations learnt that the same was being used to transport cash and other freebies. In the ambulances the EC had also found currency counting machines.

Officials say that there was no single party that indulged in such activities. Both the leading parties had indulged in such practises. Many candidates had been spending above the prescribed limit and in several places we had also found pamphlets being printed without permission.

However for the EC the good sign is that in many cases it was the people who reported the distribution of the money. There were 33 cases which were reported to the EC by the people. Officials say that this makes their job easier if people come forward and report corruption.

OneIndia News