Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday that the ruling DMK hacked electronic voting machines and resorted to bogus voting and malpractice to win in the urban local bodies elections.
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He led a protest at Kottai in Salem against the government for arresting former Minister D. Jayakumar in a case of election incident. The party workers raised slogans condemning the government for registering false cases against AIADMK leaders and workers.
Mr. Palaniswami alleged that the government was registering false cases against AIADMK leaders and workers to destroy the party. He said the AIADMK would have won, had the urban local bodies elections been held democratically. In Chennai’s ward 49, coming to know that Naresh Kumar, a DMK member, was trying to indulge in bogus voting, Mr. Jayakumar nabbed and handed him over to the police. He did what the police should have done, he said.
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“While Naresh Kumar is having ‘biriyani’ sitting in hospital, Jayakumar is in prison,” he said. (Naresh filed a complaint against Mr. Jayakumar for forcing him to remove his shirt and parading him in public.)
Mr. Palaniswami claimed Naresh Kumar faced 12 cases, including of chain-snatching, and an arrest warrant. When the DGP and the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Police said rowdies would be arrested to ensure smooth polling, why Naresh Kumar was not arrested, he asked.
He said a Chief Minister was protecting a rowdy and royal treatment was given to criminals under the DMK regime.
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Mr. Palaniswami said many candidates complained that they had polled only one vote. He alleged the voting machines were hacked in such a way that votes polled for a different candidate went to the DMK. While the polling percentage was about 68 during the Assembly election in Chennai, it was a mere 43% in the urban local bodies elections because of the presence of rowdies on streets. He alleged that the DMK won in the elections through bogus voting, and the rate of bogus voting was 13% in Chennai. He said the DMK handed ₹3,000-₹5,000 to voters apiece, besides gifts.
Mr. Palaniswami said he had gone to prison six times and the DMK’s attempt to scare the AIADMK with false cases would not work.
He said the newly elected urban local bodies would increase property tax by 200%, besides hiking water and power tariff.
Mr. Palaniswami alleged the State Election Commission functioned as a puppet in the hands of the ruling party and the police, and worked with the DMK for its victory.