People's Democracy

TAMILNADU

CPI(M) Condemns Violence, Demands Repoll 

The following is the text of the press release issued by Tamilnadu state committee of the CPI(M) on October 15, 2006.

THE people of Tamilnadu have seen rowdyism, atrocities and violence committed by AIADMK in 2001 with blatant abuse of political power during elelctions to Chennai Municipal Corporation and by-elections to Saidapet, Kanchipuram and Gummidipoondi assembly constituencies. Following those anarchic activities, the AIADMK government continued in the same anti-democratic and authoritarian approach in every act of its governance. The CPI(M) joined the DMK and other parties to end the authoritarian rule of AIADMK in the last elections to the state assembly held in May 2006. The people threw AIADMK government out of power in these elections. The main question in the electoral campaign was ‘Democracy or Authoritarianism’. Viewed in this background, it was a shock to witness the undesirable developments that took place during elections to the wards of Chennai Municipal Corporation on October 13, 2006.

In Chennai, CPI(M) contested the elections in eight wards independently without any electoral understanding as it could not reach an agreement with the DMK due to its unreasonable and unjustifiable approach. In those eight wards unprecedented violence was let loose, booths were captured and polls were rigged in a most shameful manner. The CPI(M) district secretaries of North and South Chennai districts brought this to the notice of election commission officials, election observers and higher police officials with specific complaints, but no action was taken. The details have been reported in the newspapers and the electronic media.

Armed gangs with lethal weapons, led by the DMK candidates and some legislators belonging to that party, entered forcibly into the polling booths, drove out the agents of other political parties, snatched the ballot papers from the officials and rigged the polls in their favour. When our Party cadres questioned and protested against their activities, they were attacked with knives and beaten with lathis and were kicked out. CPI(M) candidate Devi in Ward No 59 and other candidates were victims of this dastardly attack. Many are still undergoing treatment in hospitals. The entire election process has been turned into a mockery. The election commission did not concede the CPI(M) demand for repoll in those eight wards.

The concerned officials, including those in-charge of law and order, were not prepared even to receive the Party’s complaints on October 13 and register cases against the culprits. On the contrary, false cases were foisted on Devi and other leading cadres of CPI(M) on charges which are non-bailable and some have been even arrested.

The state secretariat of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the violence unleashed during elections to Chennai Municipal Corporation and all the happenings that made a mockery of the democratic election process. The secretariat demands the Tamilnadu government to immediately withdraw all the false cases and insists that the police should act impartially and take action against those who attacked the CPI(M) cadres.

The secretariat demands the state election commission to annul and order a re-poll of this mockery of the election held in Chennai.