Bypolls in Chennai's RK Nagar constituency, (former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was an MLA from here), have been cancelled by the Election Commission after cash-for-votes allegations surfaced.
The decision came after Income Tax raids in Chennai found money was distributed to voters.
The Income Tax officials had alleged that the VK Sasikala faction of the party paid Rs. 89 crore to voters to buy support for its candidate TTV Dinakaran, who is also her nephew. As evidence, the department had cited documents seized during raids on Friday in more than 35 places - including the properties of the state health minister C Vijayabaskar.
Meanwhile, the O Panneerselvam faction of the party has welcomed the EC's decision. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) chief Tamilisai Soundararajan also supported the commission's verdict and said the state needs corruption-free politics.
“Constitutionally, it has been proved that our democracy is alive by this decision” expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa told ANI.
(With inputs from ANI)
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