Chennai, Sept 21:
DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi has questioned the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s list of star campaigners for the October 6 by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, particularly the inclusion of leaders belonging to other political parties.
Addressing reporters, Bharathi said the Election Commission permits up to 40 star campaigners for a party in an election, and questioned the legal basis for including leaders of other parties in the TVK list. The TVK’s 40-member list includes leaders from the Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML, among others. The issue has also been raised by Opposition parties, with the BJP seeking clarification from the Chief Electoral Officer.
Bharathi specifically referred to Congress MP Manickam Tagore, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and Vanniarasu, besides MDMK leaders Vaiko and Durai Vaiko and IUML leader Kader Mohideen. He questioned whether leaders continuing to represent their respective parties could be treated as TVK star campaigners and whether their campaign expenses would be accounted for under the appropriate category.
He said the DMK had already submitted a representation to the Election Commission seeking that the relevant campaign expenditure be included in the election accounts of the candidates. Under Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, candidates are required to maintain accounts of election expenditure, while Election Commission guidelines provide specific treatment for expenditure associated with star campaigners.
Bharathi also criticised the deployment of police security for candidates during the by-election campaign. He alleged that TVK candidates were facing difficulties in reaching voters and claimed that additional security had been provided to candidates of other parties as a consequence. He said DMK candidates did not require such protection and alleged that the deployment was intended to address opposition to the ruling party.
He further alleged that the two by-elections had arisen after two AIADMK MLAs resigned and subsequently joined the TVK. The two seats — Madurantakam and Dharapuram — were vacated after K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama joined the TVK, with both subsequently being fielded by the ruling party in the by-elections.
Bharathi also alleged that the Congress had been brought into the TVK fold through ministerial positions. He claimed that leaders of alliance parties were now campaigning under the TVK banner rather than their respective party banners. These remarks were part of Bharathi’s criticism of the ruling party and its allies.
He said DMK president M.K. Stalin’s campaign programme for the by-elections would be announced in the next two or three days and claimed that the DMK was receiving a positive response from voters during its campaign.