EC cancels RK Nagar bypolls in Chennai after cash for votes scam unearthed

I-T raids on C Vijayabaskar and associates have revealed that Rs 89 cr were distributed to voters

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday night cancelled the April 12 bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu over the alleged cash for votes violation which has been unearthed. 

After several rounds of meetings with Tamil Nadu election officials, the EC decided to rescind the election notification. It said the by-election would be held in "due course when the vitiating effect created by the distribution of money and gift items to allure the electors... Gets removed with the passage of time". 

Sleuths of the Income Tax (I-T) Investigation wing had on Friday conducted searches in properties and offices belonging to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, who is a member of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party. The I-T search operation held at the premises of an associate of Vijayabaskar revealed the routing of Rs 89 crore for "distribution to voters" in the R K Nagar Assembly constituency.

According to sources, documents seized during searches at the premises of an accountant of the minister showed details of Rs 89 crore being channelled to R K Nagar through party functionaries.

"We have seized cash totalling Rs 5.5 crore. We have also seized documents showing around Rs 89 crore changed hands for distribution to voters of R K Nagar," an I-T official told news agency IANS on condition of anonymity.

"A cash disbursal of Rs 100 crore to bribe voters will be a very conservative estimate," he added.

Vijayabaskar is a prominent loyalist of AIADMK (Amma) faction's candidate T T V Dinakaran. He was also among the key campaigners in the bypolls. There were also several complaints of alleged money distribution by AIADMK's Amma faction.

The seat fell vacant after the death of the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5 and the bypoll is being viewed as a battle of prestige between the two factions of the AIADMK. 

The AIADMK (Amma) faction is led by V K Sasikala. The other faction is led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam.