Left parties accuse TVK of topping cash-for-votes in Oct 6 bypolls, demand EC action

The Left parties, which provide outside support to the TVK government, on Thursday accused the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam of distributing money to voters in the two Assembly constituencies going to bypolls on October 6 — and demanded that the Election Commission act. CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam said villagers in Madurantakam told Left campaigners that “everyone else is distributing money while we are giving only pamphlets”.

In the previous poll conducted on April 23, Vijay collected votes promising that ‘we are a pure force and will not distribute money for votes’, and now this is a confession given by the general public: TVK distributed the most money among everyone," Shanmugam told reporters after visiting villages in Madurantakam, where the CPI(M) is contesting. The CPI is contesting Dharapuram.

Shanmugam said the Left parties had told voters their strength lay in struggles and principles, and that neither the CPI nor the CPI(M) would buy votes. But field reports, he said, showed others distributing money “on a massive scale”, with the ruling party’s handouts the largest. He said the Commission must take note of the allegations and seek answers from the parties concerned.

Separately, the AIADMK has petitioned the Election Commission seeking an urgent probe into alleged cash distribution in both constituencies. Rajya Sabha MP and AIADMK advocate’s wing secretary I. S. Inbadurai, in a complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner and Tamil Nadu’s Chief Electoral Officer, alleged widespread Model Code of Conduct violations — including media reports that cash was distributed to electors at Rettipalayam in Acharapakkam union on behalf of the TVK to induce votes for its Madurantakam candidate Maragatham Kumaravel. He urged field-level inquiries, preservation of CCTV and broadcast evidence, registration of FIRs, and intensified flying-squad surveillance.

The bypolls were necessitated after sitting AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P. Sathyabama (Dharapuram) resigned their seats and joined the TVK. Shanmugam questioned the defections: “The AIADMK MLAs of Dharapuram and Madurantakam could have as well continued as Independents after quitting the AIADMK. Where was the need to resign? What was offered to them by the TVK?” He also said the “euphoric support” voters showed the TVK before the Assembly election was “conspicuously missing” in the bypoll run-up.

The Left parties have decided to contest the two seats independently while continuing outside support to the TVK government. Voting is on October 6, with counting on October 9.