Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 14 : Amid the high octave election campaigning in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK's Coimbatore South candidate Amman Arjunan has raised serious allegations of electoral malpractice in his constituency. He has alleged that people have been "confined in makeshift enclosures", with their right to vote independently being infringed upon.
The AIADMK candidate filed a complaint against DMK's Senthil Balaji with the District Collector and District Election Officer Pavan Kumar on Monday.
He toldthat such practices were taking place not only in Coimbatore South but also in Coimbatore North and in other constituencies where DMK candidates are contesting.
The Coimbatore South candidate said the election atmosphere in Coimbatore did not appear peaceful, and people were being "detained like cattle" in various locations, and questioned who would take responsibility if any untoward incident occurred.
Amman Arjunan further claimed that around five tents had been set up in a single division and criticised the conduct of such activities in a metropolitan city, and nearly 300 people were being housed in each enclosure and provided with food and money to prevent them from voting independently.
He urged the authorities to ensure voter safety and dismantle such camps immediately, and also said that since the 1957 elections had been held in Coimbatore, such incidents had never been witnessed before.
Arjunan alleged that the police were acting in favour of the ruling party and claimed that even complainants were being questioned, and in one instance, a woman withdrew her complaint out of fear after alleged threats from DMK members.
He further added that DMK was acting out of fear of defeat and warned that such actions could lead to losing even their deposit.
Emphasising his faith in democracy, Amman Arjunan said, "Our party would win through fair means and had no intention of seeking a halt to the election process. DMK is attempting to influence voters through money and false promises, and people would not succumb to such tactics. I will win by a significant margin in Coimbatore. If election officials failed to take appropriate action, I would consult party leadership and launch further protests."
He also accused DMK of attempting to influence voters through money and false promises, claiming that people would not succumb to such tactics, referring to alleged past practices in Karur.
Amman Arjunan dismissed social media posts suggesting his defeat, asserting confidence in his victory, claiming such narratives were being spread out of fear and challenged critics to campaign alongside him and expressed confidence of winning by a significant margin in Coimbatore, and people would recognise his victory.
He added that if election officials failed to take appropriate action, he would consult party leadership and launch further protests.
Questioning the neutrality of the Election Commission, Amman Arjunan asked why such alleged practices were being allowed and claimed that landowners were being threatened to facilitate these enclosures.
He said he was not afraid of the presence of multiple independent candidates and expressed sympathy for DMK cadre in Coimbatore, alleging that even independent candidates were being "imported" from outside districts.
Expressing confidence in the electorate, Arjunan said voters would support those who work hard and uphold democratic values, adding that "money power has never won in history."
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor