People's Democracy

CPI(M) Demands Repoll In Saidapet, Boycotts Counting

IN Tamilnadu, the ruling AIADMK rigged the Saidapet assembly bypoll right under the supervision of the state police and CRPF. The CPI(M) condemned the undemocratic and unruly behaviour of the ruling party cadres who were led by none other than ministers, MLAs and other important functionaries of their party, brought from several districts.

The polling appeared to be peaceful till 10 a m. The trouble began thereafter when AIADMK cadres, led by rowdies and hooligans, started entering the polling booths. In lieu of voter identity cards, they showed bogus community certificates and ration cards prepared specially for this purpose, with official seals and emblem, as identification. After some time these too were thrown to the winds. The rowdies assaulted or intimidated many of the opposition booth agents and drove them away. It was a virtual booth capturing all around after 12 noon. Either because of the threats or in connivance with them, the polling officials stood mute witnesses to this whole ‘operation capture.’ Nor any help came from the police. The ministers and MLAs were well within the stipulated 100-metre radius, organising all this with the help of musclemen.

The complaints made to the election observers, district collector, the state’s chief electoral officer and polling officers were not taken note of and no meaningful action was taken. So far these parties had been indulging in casting bogus votes only, but this time the AIADMK adopted the new, unprecedented culture of booth capturing in an entire constituency, making mockery of the elections. The AIADMK had experimented with this practice in the corporation elections and has perfected it this time in Saidapet.

It was in this background that ---

(1) The CPI(M) decided to boycott the vote counting, to be held on June 2;

(2) It demanded that the Election Commission order a repoll in the entire Saidapet constituency; and

(3) It decided to stage a protest demonstration on June 1 before the state government office at Chennai.

Confident that the democratic-minded people of Tamilnadu would not accept such a blatant violation of democratic principles, the CPI(M) urged upon them to protest against this anti-democratic act of the ruling party and join forces with the CPI(M) to uphold the democratic institutions.