President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday rescinded the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore parliamentary constituency.
The decision comes two days after the Election Commission wrote to the President apprising him about the seizure of Rs 11.5 crore cash.
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“Accepting the recommendation of Election Commission dated April 14, 2019, the President is pleased to rescind election to Vellore Parliamentary Constituency, Tamil Nadu to elect a member to Lok Sabha,” EC said in an official statement.
The district police had filed a complaint against the accused, Kathir Anand, as well as two party functionaries on the basis of a report from the Income Tax department on April 10.
The seizures were made by the Income Tax Department in a search operation at a cement warehouse in Vellore district
Earlier on March 30, the tax sleuths raided Durai Murugan’s residence and seized Rs 10.5 lakhs of “excess cash”.
This is not the first time…
Earlier in 2016, elections in Thanjavur and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies were scrapped after AIADMK and DMK were allegedly bribing voters.
In 2017, by-elections in the RK Nagar seat were also called off following bribery charges. RK Nagar seat was held by later former TN chief minister J Jayalalithaa.