CHENNAI: After being on the boil due to the bypoll heat for days, the RK Nagar constituency in the north of Chennai has gone into a slumber after the Election Commission of India cancelled the polls alleging widespread voter bribery including cash distribution.
The frenzy that had gripped the region has gone mute since Monday, the last day of campaign if polling was to be held as scheduled on Wednesday. There were no slogans, no agents, nor anything of value to distribute. The leaders who had been camping there to spearhead the campaign for their parties/allies have left the place, to discuss the future course of action.
After holding a meeting with party leaders over the surprise development on Sunday night, the de facto leader of the official faction and its candidate for the bypoll, TTV Dhinakaran charged the Centre, rebel faction headed by O Panneerselvam, principal opposition DMK, Election Commission and the Income Tax department with forming a coalition of conspiracy against the party.
“They have frozen the Two Leaves symbol… But whenever the bypoll is held, I will be the one who emerges victorious,” Dhinakaran said.
Meanwhile, opposition parties urged the Election Commission to go further instead of stopping with the cancellation of the polls. Opposition leader and DMK working president MK Stalin sought a CBI probe into all ministers, including the Chief Minister, whose names figured in the documents leaked by the Income Tax department on Saturday. But the DMDK and PMK pointed out the countermanded polls at Thanjavur and Aravakurichi, where both the AIADMK and DMK fielded the same candidates against whom the commission had raised strong allegations of cash distribution, to seek disqualification of the candidates found to have bribed voters with cash and gifts.