Expenditure observers to reach TN today

Tamil Nadu: Chennai, March 6 (HS)Observers for election will be arriving in Tamil Nadu today. There is every effort to keep an eye on election related spending in the state. Sources say, payment methods like GPay and PhonePay are already under scanner. All this is done to ensure bribing of voters should not take place.

It is interesting to note that in the meanwhile Rs 5 core of unaccounted money was taken into custody at Ariyalur. Also another amount of Rs 5 lakhs were seized at various places in Chennai. As far as sensitive booths are concerned, about 461 booths are said to be sensitive.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner said action will be initiated on those who make political advertisement without permission. Sources further say, booth slip will not be treated as identity proof for voting.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is said to have signed a pact with AIADMK with regards to the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. As per the deal, 20 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat were allotted to the national party. Sources keeping a tab on election related developments further say, the national party will be contesting the Lok Sabha seat of Kanyakumari. BJP though contested in the seat during 2019 it lost it. Presently, the seat is vacant with the death of Congress MP H. Vasanthakumar.

The seat-sharing agreement was signed by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, coordinator of the AIADMK, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, joint coordinator of the AIADMK, CT Ravi, national general secretary of the BJP and in-charge of Tamilnadu and L Murugan, BJP State President.

The ruling party in Tamil Nadu announced the list of candidates for the forthcoming assembly elections. Needless to say, the list comprises the names of O. Pannerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami also. Pannerselvam is the coordinator of AIADMK and Palaniswami is its joint coordinator.

As per the list, Pannerselvam who is also the Deputy CM of Tamil Nadu currently will contest from Bodinayakannur and Palaniswami who is the CM of Tamil Nadu currently will contest from Edappadi. The other prominent candidates are Jayakumar who will be contesting from Royapuram, Shanmugam will contest from Villupuram, SP Shanmuganathan will represent Srivaikuntam and S. Thenmoli is contesting from Nilakottai, say sources.