New Delhi: Hours after President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the Election Commission (EC)'s recommendation to cancel the election in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore Lok Sabha constituency over seizure of huge amounts of cash from a warehouse, DMK candidate Kathir Anand has written to the poll body alleging it to be playing in the hands of the ruling AIADMK-BJP combine.
He alleged the raids of the income tax (I-T) department at his mother’s residence and a college of which he was a managing trustee were illegal and stage-managed by the ruling party.
Anand, who addressed his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and his deputies, said the I-T report based on which the commission cancelled the election was bogus as it projected that whatever money was seized belonged to him and had been stored for distribution among voters.
Further, as the EC notification had come barely two days before the day of election and that too, without being granted an opportunity to be heard, Anand said the entire move seemed to be politically motivated.
He said all these were done to favour the ruling alliance's candidate and damage the image of the DMK and his prospects in the Lok Sabha election.
Urging the polling body to recall its order, failing which he said he would have to move court and claim damages.
Vellore was to vote in the second phase on April 18. Bypolls for the two Assembly seats under the Vellore LS seat — Ambur and Gudiyattam — will go ahead as planned on Thursday as the order was specific to the Lok Sabha election, officials told News18.
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