'Pure force' to cash counters: Left allies accuse TVK of topping money distribution in Oct 6 bypolls

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's self-image as a "pure force" above the cash-for-votes bazaar has taken its hardest knock yet — from its own allies. Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam on Thursday accused the ruling TVK of distributing the highest amount of money among all parties in the two Assembly constituencies going to bypolls on October 6, and demanded that the Election Commission take note and seek answers. Shanmugam, whose party is contesting the Madurantakam (Reserved) seat while the CPI contests Dharapuram, said villagers told him directly during campaign visits that cash was flowing freely. "Everyone knows the Marxist Communist Party is contesting in Madurantakam and the Communist Party of India is contesting in Dharapuram. When we visited several villages distributing pamphlets detailing why people should vote for us, people in some villages told us that everyone else is distributing money while we are giving only pamphlets," he told reporters. The sting was in the comparison. "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 said. The allegation is politically significant because the two Left parties provide outside support to the TVK government. For an ally to publicly accuse the ruling party of topping the very practice it vowed to end suggests the charge could not be contained within back-channel conversations. Shanmugam said the Left's strength lay in struggles and party principles, and that neither the CPI nor the CPI(M) would buy votes. He urged the Election Commission to act on what he described as massive-scale distribution of money to voters. The bypolls have already drawn a high-voltage campaign. Chief Minister Vijay held an extensive roadshow in Madurantakam on Friday, travelling through nearly 40 villages over four and a half hours, while DMK chief M.K. Stalin campaigned in Dharapuram, where he told Vijay to "behave as CM". TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel — who won Madurantakam as an AIADMK candidate before resigning on May 25 and joining TVK — is the ruling party's nominee. With three days left for polling, the Election Commission has not yet responded to the Left's demand for action.