AIADMK decides to boycott Vikravandi bypoll

AIADMK to boycott the Vikravandi Assembly bypoll saying it won’t take place in a “free and fair” manner.

The AIADMK on Saturday decided to boycott the Vikravandi Assembly bypoll, slated for July 10, on the ground that it would not take place in a “free and fair” manner.

In a statement, the party’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said that the ruling DMK, its Ministers and functionaries would misuse State machinery, and commit “atrocities and irregularities,” using “muscle and money power.”

Recounting how the DMK had “intimidated” voters of the Erode (East) Assembly constituency and “distributed gifts” to them during the byelection last year, Mr. Palaniswami said that though his party had raised concerns with the authorities in this regard, no action had been taken against the ruling party, resulting in the “murder of democracy”.

“Likewise, there were doubts and questions whether the Vikravandi byelection will be conducted freely, in accordance with democratic norms,” he added. 

He recalled that when Jayalalithaa was the AIADMK’s general secretary, the party boycotted byelections to five local bodies in February 2009, and Assembly constituencies in August 2009