AIADMK plans 'bogus voting'

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI, OCT. 17. The DMK today charged that the ruling party planned to cast bogus votes in tomorrow's election to the Madurai Corporation.

The DMK leaders produced ballot papers that were ``to be used'' in the ward elections.

At a hurriedly convened press conference, the Mayor, Mr. P. Kulandaivelu, the urban district secretary of the DMK, Mr. V. Velusamy, and the party's Mayoral candidate, Mr. C. Ramachandran, displayed the ballot papers and held the ruling party responsible for `leaking' them in four wards.

Mr. Kulandaivelu said the issue would be taken up with the State Election Commissioner and the district Collector.

``We want a genuine polling and have no intention of stalling the election scheduled for tomorrow'', he said.

The Mayor alleged that the ballot papers were snatched from the AIADMK cadres by his party workers in some wards. ``The AIADMK cadres may attempt to create unrest or provoke violence like they did in Chennai'', he alleged.

However, the Collector, Mr. S. Ramachandran, claimed that the ballot papers were discarded at the press itself owing to some printing errors.

The serial numbers in the foil and counterfoil differed, he said.

``Without the signature of the presiding officer and the distinct mark of the respective polling booths, the ballot papers are invalid for counting'', he said.

The Corporation Commissioner would conduct an inquiry into how the discarded ballot papers, which were ordered to be destroyed, leaked out of a private and a co-operative printing press, he added.

``All the printed ballot papers were manually verified again by the Corporation Commissioner, Mr. Har Sahai Meena, and found to be intact'', Mr. Ramachandran said.

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