Cash Haul at DMK leader aides house and godown leads to cancellation of polls in Vellore

In a rare move, President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted the recommendation of the Election Commission to rescind the Lok Sabha polls in Vellore Parliamentary constituency of Tamil Nadu. This comes after Income Tax officials had seized over ₹11.5 crore cash from a house and godown belonging to the close aides of DMK treasurer Dorai Murugan on 2nd April. Vellore was to go to polls today, April 18.

The ECI’s order states, “The commission is fully satisfied that the current electoral process in Vellore parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu has been seriously vitiated on account of unlawful activities of certain candidates and some members/workers of the political party and in the Commission’s considered opinion, allowing the current electoral process to proceed and conducting the poll in the said constituency on 18th April 2019, as scheduled, in such a vitiated atmosphere would severely jeopardize the conduct of free and fair election in said constituency.”

Organiser had on April 2nd reported that the IT department officials had raided the house and godown belonging to the close aides of DMK treasurer Dorai Murugan in Chennai, Vellore and other places. Bags filled with currency notes worth crores have been unearthed at these locations by the IT sleuths. Huge bags filled with new currency notes were found at a godown near Vellore which belonged to the workers of the DMK. The IT officials had informed that the raids had unearthed currency notes worth 11.5 crores. It was also reported that the currency notes found during the raids were separated and packed as per individual wards. It was evident that the purpose of such segregation of money was for distribution among the voters before polls. As per local media reports, details regarding the ward and other related information were inserted into the packets.

Taking strong cognizance of these raids and based on the money found, the EC after investigation had recommended that the polls on 18th be rescinded until further notice. With the Honorable President of India accepting the recommendation after consultation with the Law Ministry, the polls that were to be conducted in Vellore on 18th have been stopped for the time being.