Nanguneri Bypolls: Locals Seize ‘Cash for Votes’ from DMK-Congress

Villagers boycotting Tirunelveli elections caught DMK and Congress cadre with money set to be distributed to voters.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

Even as polling to the Nanguneri and Vikravandi Assembly seats draws near, villagers who have boycotted the elections in Tirunelveli ‘caught’ cadres of the DMK and Congress with money that they were reportedly set to distribute to voters.

According to a report in The Times of India, villagers from Moolakaraipatti in Nanguneri reportedly surrounded a house and seized Rs 2.78 lakh in unaccounted cash from DMK and Congress cadre, as well as from DMK Periyakulam MLA KS Saravana Kumar. A flying squad team rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries. The cash was allegedly in Rs 2000 currency notes. The incident took place around 4 pm on Thursday.

The MLA and cadre have reportedly claimed that the cash was for their personal use. They have also alleged that the villagers attacked them, taking their money and mobile phones.

According to reports, nearly 200 voters from the Devendra Kulla Vellalar community are boycotting the Nanguneri Assembly constituency polls. A section of the caste has sought to be removed from the Scheduled Caste list and re-classified. Recently, K Krishnaswamy, chief of the Puthiya Tamilagam party that advocates for the policy change on Devendra Kulla Vellalars, pulled out of the AIADMK alliance after its failure to pass a Government Order in the matter as promised during the Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, AIADMK cadres were booked for reportedly attempting to bribe voters with Rs 39,000 in cash. A total of Rs 3,98,700 has been seized from political parties from four seizures.

The DMK-Congress alliance is fielding DMK’s Villupuram treasurer N Pugazhendhi from Vikravandi and Congress’ R Manohar from Nanguneri. Meanwhile, the AIADMK is fielding MR Muthamizhselvan from Vikravandi and V Narayanan from Nanguneri.

While Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi is contesting the polls from both seats, Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam and TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam have opted out.

Polling will be on 21 October and results for both polls will be announced on Thursday, 24 October.

(This article was originally published in The News Minute and has been reposted with permission.)