[Marxistindia] Letter to Election Commission on Situation in Madurai Lok Sabha Constituency

news from the cpi(m) marxistindia at cpim.org
Wed Apr 29 12:27:41 IST 2009


                                                          April 29, 2009





Press Release




We are releasing herewith a letter addressed to the Chief Election
Commissioner by Prakash Karat, CPI(M) General Secretary, on the
situation prevailing in the Madurai Parliamentary Constituency in
Tamilnadu where the CPI(M) candidate P. Mohan is pitted against the DMK
candidate and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son M K Azaghiri.



                          *******************

(Hari Singh Kang)

For Central Committee Office




                           Text of the Letter


                                                          April 28, 2009



The Chief Election Commissioner

Election Commission of India

New Delhi



Dear Shri Chawla,



I am writing to you regarding the situation prevailing in the Madurai
Lok Sabha constituency in Tamilnadu. Our Party candidate, Shri P. Mohan,
is contesting this seat. The DMK has put up M.K. Azhagiri, who is the
son of the Chief  of the state. The past few weeks have witnessed gross
misuse of the official machinery and an unprecedented use of money and
goods to lure voters. There have been physical attacks against the
CPI(M) workers including an MLA. 


In a recent by-election to the legislative assembly in Thirumangalam in
Tamilnadu, there was an unprecedented use of money power. What we are
witnessing in Madurai is Thirumangalam on a larger scale. 


I am enclosing a note listing out the complaints made by our Party and
the candidate's election agent. No effective and serious steps have been
taken to stop the malpractices and ensure a free and fair poll.


I urge you therefore to intervene in the matter and see that the
District Election Officer, the City Police Commissioner and the Public
Relations Officer are immediately transferred out of their present
responsibilities. Impartial offices must be assigned poll duties. The
Commission should send special observers to see that there is no misuse
of the official machinery and the blatant violation of the Model Code of
Conduct is put a halt to.


I wish to emphasise that immediate action needs to be taken if the polls
are not to be vitiated in Madurai.



                                                                    Sd/-

                                                         (Prakash Karat)

                                                       General Secretary


encl: Note on the situation in Madurai Parliamentary Constituency


                        ************************

     NOTE ON MISUSE OF OFFICIAL MACHINERY, VIOLATION OF MODEL CODE,

         ADOPTING UNFAIR/UNLAWFUL METHODS FOR SOLICITING VOTES

               AND FAILURE OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

                      TO STOP ALL THESE ACTIVITIES

                    IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS (2009)

               FOR THE MADURAI PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

                              IN TAMILNADU



The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is contesting the
15thGeneral Elections (2009) from the Madurai Parliamentary Constituency
has been continuously bringing to the knowledge of the Chief Electoral
Officer, Tamilnadu about various forms of malpractices and misuse of
official machinery by the ruling party to influence the voters in the
elections. Though various well meaning warnings had been issued by the
CEO it had little effect on such nefarious activities of the ruling
party and its leaders here and such activities are on the increase as
the date of election draws closer. The ruling DMK and its candidate had
invented new forms to bribe the voters and influence their decision. The
District administration instead of intervening for the conduct of free
and fair elections is aiding and abetting the unlawful methods adopted
by the DMK candidate. The instances listed below explain the nature of
such complaints given by the District Secretary, MLA and Election Agent
of our party and other wings of the party. 



     1. Complaint against distribution of consumer goods to voters by
        the DMK (dated 03.03.2009) 
        
     2. Complaint against conducting Medical camp in the name of
        birthday celebration of the DMK candidate (dated 03.03.2009)
        
     3. Complaint against the District Election Officer for not taking
        action against violation of model code of conduct (dated
        05.03.2009)
     4. Complaint against bulk applications for inclusion in the voters
        list (dated 20.03.2009)
     5. Complaint against distribution of cash, sarees etc to the voters
        by the DMK and distribution of cash to self help groups (dated
        28.03.2009)
     6. Complaint against distribution of money to the voters by the DMK
        (dated 31.03.2009)
     7. Complaint against using the marriage halls for preparing pockets
        of cash by the DMK (dated 03.04.2009)
     8. Complaint on utilising places of worship for electoral campaign
        by DMK candidate (dated 08.04.2009)
     9. Complaint by Nanmaran MLA (CPI –M) for changing the District
        Collector of Madurai for his partisan behaviour (dated
        15.04.2009)
    10. Complaint of inaction by the police against the murderous attack
        on Mr.Vijaya Rajan party member (dated 15.04.2009)
        
    11. Complaint against disruption of CPI (M) election meeting by DMK
        men (dated 16.04.2009)
    12. Complaint against misuse of police machinery to arrest our
        cadres on false complaints by the ruling party (dated
        16.04.2009)
    13. Complaint against inaction by the police against the murderous
        attack on Mr.Nanmaran.MLA (dated 17.04.2009)
    14. Complaint against misuse of office by the Public Relations
        Officer for electoral campaigns of the DMK candidate (dated
        18.04.2009)
    15. Complaint against distribution of ‘tokens’ to the voters by the
        DMK men in Madurai Lok Sabha constituency (dated 22.04.2009)).


Many of these complaints were handed over to the Chief Electoral Officer
in the state then and there. In spite of bringing these things to the
notice of the authorities in time, no serious action for stopping such
activities has been taken so far. This had strengthened the hands of the
perpetrators of such unlawful electioneering methods. If the District
Election Officer, City Commissioner of Police and the PRO are not
immediately transferred out of their present assignment, the election in
Madurai Parliamentary constituency would become a farce.


We urge the Election Commission to take immediate measures to stop the
gross malpractices occuring in this parliamentary constituency. We
request you to post honest and impartial officials for poll duties in
the constituency. We also request you to send special observers in view
of the blatant use of illegal money power and misuse of official
machinery.

eom



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