The massive win scored by the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu in the February 19 election to the urban local bodies suffered a setback as a Returning Officer told the Madras High Court on Monday that pressure exerted on him by the ruling party bigwigs led him to commit a faux pas and declare the loser as winner.
This was disclosed by the Returning Officer of T Kallupatti Town Panchayath in Madurai district. The officer personally appeared before the First Bench of the Madras High Court consisting of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandati and Justice Bharat Chakravarti and explained what had happened on February 22 when votes were taken up for counting. Independent candidate R Palaniselvi and DMK’s K Subbulakshmi polled 284 votes each and this prompted the Returning Officer to elect the winner through a draw of lots.
Palaniselvi won the election as the lot bearing her name was handpicked by the polling officer. The State Election Commission announced Palaniselvi as the winner and made the announcement through the portal. But within half an hour, matters took a turn for the worse as the Returning Officer declared that Subbulakshmi (DMK) was the winner when casts were drawn.
Palaniselvi, in her writ petition to the Madras High Court said that she was elected winner when casts were drawn and the Returning Officer had made the announcement in this regard. But the SEC website removed the results within 30 minutes and posted the information that Subbulakshmi was the winner.
The judges examined the CCTV footage of the counting station in the open court and the Returning Officer was summoned to personally appear in the court. The RO, who was present in the court on Monday told that he was under immense pressure to change the election results. The Court asked the RO to file a detailed affidavit by March 18 stating the kind pf pressure exerted on him and the persons concerned. Meanwhile the State Election Commission complied with the Court directive and declared the writ petitioner as the winner.
There were widespread allegations from major Opposition parties viz the AIADMK, the BJP, the PMK and the Makkal Neethi Maiam that the ruling dispensation had engaged in massive malpractices during the election. D Jayakumar, former minister in the Edappadi Palaniswami-led AIADMK government was arrested and sent to jail when he caught hold of a history sheeter while impersonating as a voter in a Chennai corporation booth.
The incident has put shadow on the impressive victory registered by the DMK and allies in the just concluded polls.